Dancing with the Stars

I've been watching this season of Dancing with the Stars (please don't judge-its my guilty pleasure) and they always have some kind of guest appearances by major artists. Tonight-they had the Beach Boys with John Stamos! Now I know I've said a lot over the semester-but you might remember when we talked about the Beach Boys and the '60s I mentioned that although they were most popular during the '60s and '70s-they still remained on the scene of American popular music until recent times. When Full House was in its heyday ('90s)-the Beach Boys would periodically make appearances and Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) would always play with them. Now I know that Stamos used to tour with them-but I still couldn't help laughing when I saw that the legendary Uncle Jesse would be joining them on Dancing with the Stars. Did anyone else happen to see the performance? They did a mash-up (to use a Glee phrase) of "California Girls", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Kokomo"-some of my favorite Beach Boys songs. Brian Wilson's may not be what they used to be-but they still put on a great performance. I'd love to hear other comments from any of you who saw the show.

Not that serious

Now i know we live in a society that everything must be "politically correct", but everyone needs to calm themselves down. Michael Jackson has been the King of Pop for as far back as i can remember. It's only a figure of speech. It's not like he'll get a crown or rule over a third world country (he probably did at one point, but i digress). King of Rock n' Roll, Princess of Pop... these are honestly just terms of endearment given to significant artists who have set ground breaking records in their lifetimes. I mean, come on guys - if you sell 40 million copies of ONE album, you deserve some sort of special title. And besides, Michael Jackson and Madonna really brought pop music into the spotlight (especially coming from a time where disco ruled the world). I may not like their music, but i'd be foolish to say that their achievements don't deserve to be acknowledged. Yes yes, we have the rock n' roll hall of fame and all that jazz - it's not enough. There are people all over the world who are connected to each other through music. In my opinion, these titles help break down the language barriers and connect cultures through music and the artists who give it to them. So you see, people who strongly disagree with these titles - relax yourself. it's not the serious.

Led Zeppelin-BPO style

For those of you who are fans of Led Zeppelin-the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) will be doing a concert of their music on Friday, May 7th. I have yet to check the ticket prices-but I know for sure that you can use your student discount at Kleinhan's. The BPO did this a few years back, and although I didn't have the opportunity to go, I heard fantastic things about it.

Changing Roles of the Music Video

I feel as though the Music Video has changed it's role quite a bit in the last 30 years. They started out as a way to celebritize musicians and make them know in face, presentation, and image along with their music, but slowly became a less prominent part of musical advertising and become more of an artistic form all on their, just becoming part of a band's image and persona. MJ and Madonna's music videos made them recognizable and celebrities, and you could easily turn on the TV and see the music video fairly often. This contributed to their celebrity status, and was more of a tool to make them into celebrities. As music videos become more commonplace, I feel as though they slowly adapted into an art form all on their own. Part of what I feel contributed to this was MTV's transition into a network that rarely deals with music anymore. Even the second channel they created solely for music just reruns their shows and rarely shows music videos. I honestly think this is sort of sad, and now you have to go online and specifically search for an artist's music videos and although they are available, they are rarely seen on TV or advertised anywhere. What this has done for the music video is that it allows for the bands and directors to work collaboratively for a more artistic approach to music videos. One exception to the rule, of course, is Lady Gaga whose new Telephone video has been advertised a lot, but almost exclusively on the internet. Maybe this is the new place for music videos, pushing music even more into the realm of the digital and the internet, which is a whole other argument. Mostly, I think that music videos have changed from tools to create image and celebrity to a more artistic form that contributes but does not wholly create a musician's image.

post #13

So in regards to the post about vinyls from Jess. I am part of the group of kids who love vinyls. I don't have as many as she does (a whopping THREE on my side of the fence YAHHOO) but i think i am addicted to buying vinyls now-a-days just as i am addicted to the montana meth project (it's unrelated in every way but still crazy check it out [http://www.montanameth.org/]). You can buy vinyls just as easily as you can buy CDs (that is if you actually buy CDs today). i actually bought a vinyl at the last concert i went to (Trapped Under Ice - "Secrets of the World") and i was debating on either that vinyl or a t-shirt, now a t-shirt would be a more practical thing to buy BUT the vinyl was just unresitable But the only reason i don't have many vinyls is because i am dirt poor and don't have much spending money..... anyhoo
So Michael Jackson the topic of choice for me today. He just keeps coming back into my life (his death, guitar hero last semester, AMS209 this semester) and to be honest i am kind of sick of it. I'm am not a huge fan of MJ (sorry katie), but i do respect him as a musical artist because he did make a huge impact on music and he did have the top grossing album of all time (which is crazy). I hope i see the day where someone else takes that crown from his head because that would be CRAZY! and there would be a huge thing about it of course. any many then MJ's album sales will rise once again. who knows? maybe. maybe not. It's not impossible.......just very......improbable

Vinyl

Has anyone else noticed how vinyl has become a huge trend lately? At almost any show you go to, you can almost be sure to find vinyl at the merch table.
I was at a show on wednesday and I faced the dilemma of buying vinyl or a CD. I had the CD on my iTunes that I copied from a friend, but I always feel the need of having a physical copy (something most people don't do anymore). I only had 25 bucks in cash and there wasn't an ATM in site. I bought 2 vinyls (one for me, one for my boyfriend) and they were only 12 bucks a pop. Anyway, this left me without CDs (I guess that's what the internet is for...), now the problem is having a record player. I have over 200 records and no record player...go me.
Anyway, back to bands selling more and more vinyl. Bands have also started doing "limited release" presses as well. I think by doing both of these, it's to make up for the loss of CD sales, which has probably gone way down due to people downloading their music illegally. Of course, I'm guilty of this as well, but I end up buying the albums as well. I kind of like it this way because it gives fans a variety of merch to choose from. No longer is it the boring t-shirt and CD combo. I would rather have a picture disc and a bright poster! Now I have a nice (new) vinyl collection going, I can't wait to play them when I buy a record player.

Last FM

Okay, so I generally suck at anything having to do with the internet. Back home, we still have dial up and I had dial up while growing up (yeah it sucked). The only video I watched growing up was basically the kitty cat dance over and over because most of them took about 2 hours or so to load.
Anyway, I'm probably a million years too late, but I just signed up for a last fm account after my friend told me how awesome it was.
Really, I don't understand sites like these. It took me awhile to understand pandora and I hate using it. What's the point in having an ipod and itunes if you can just listen to a bands radio online? last fm seems like a fabricated pandora and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Maybe someone can explain what's so great about it besides "discovering" other bands....all they've done for me so far was suggest bands that I have already listened to or that I don't like. Good job, internetz.
In all honesty though, I LOVE MYSPACE. Not for "friends" so much anymore, but it's arguably one of the best things that has happened to the music industry. I love having any bands songs at my fingertips to listen to a few times before I decide whether or not I want to incorporate them into my iTunes library. It's also a great way to find out about new bands. I don't think I would trade myspace music for last.fm anyday.

disaster doesn't even cover it

i enjoyed the presentation on punk on wednesday. i felt it was really informative. however, she kept mentioning that the last sex pistols tour was an entire disaster, but she never really explained why it was disaster. so i decided to investigate. i went to wikipedia (sorry i kno im not supposed to go to it but it was just there and i caved) and apparently, disaster wasn't even cover how badly the tour went. First off, several northern dates were cancelled from the get-go due to criminal charges on the band. Apparently shows itself were booked in sketchy places just so "hostile situations" were provoked. the band battled illness, drug addictions, fights, and controversies the entire tour. i'm pretty sure sid vicious was not conscious for most of the tour. The last show in SF has become famous because the pistols only played one song and walked off stage. pretty ridiculously right? imagine how the ppl at the show felt...

Disco Makes a Comeback

The 1970s were a time of great political, social, and musical change in the U.S. DJs began making a major rise in the club scene, coinciding with the rapidly growing popularity of disco music, and marking a decrease of live band performances. Essentially, this was the beginning of the type of dance clubs that dominate many music scenes today. DJs spin records while the crowds dance and drink all night. The use of technology to make disco music caused quite a backlash with many rock fans (eg. Disco Demolition Night in Chicago, 1979). It seems that electronic music is making quite a comeback (or maybe it never really went away at all) these days, with rock/dance bands like Girl Talk (which features just one DJ who mixes together many different songs), Passion Pit (a heavily disco/electronic influenced band whose singer hails from Buffalo), and Settings (another Buffalo band which features electronic mixes in nearly all of their songs) to name only a few. On the other side of the spectrum, mainstream 21st century rap and hip hop rely almost entirely on computer technology to produce music, even altering vocals with filters like autotune and reverb. Go to most clubs down on Chippewa, and you will see masses of people dancing to whatever the DJ is spinning. Then, think about how much this resembles the massive popularity of disco in the 70's; it's easy to see that the apple of popular music doesn't fall far from the tree.

RAP MUSIC

When I first started to listen to Rap Music it made me feel the heartaches and pains of being raised in the ghetto. I could relate to lyrics from songs that artist made. For example when Two Pac Shakur wrote the song Only God Can Judge me. "meaning no one can judge him but god. Rap music is usually rhymes that come from the heart about life in the ghetto. Rap music has really become more commercial and geared towards sex, money, drugs, and violence therefore, rappers of today portray these images to the youth in African-American communities. My question is this leading up to more and more African -American teens losing their lives to gang violence ? My next question is this also leading up to all-time high school dropout rates in the black communities ? In my eyes education is the only way out of the ghetto but, people never let the youth know that education is possible. Many young African-Americans do not think college is possible. If city school districts keep cutting budgets how do inner-city students reach their full potential ? Would censoring rap music and its videos help? Finally what can we do as a whole to stop what is rapidly leaving African-American with long jail sentences or death at a young age ?

Michael Jackson

I think Michael Jackson is "King of POP", not just in USA, in all over the world. He also inspired to many musicians. I watched many TV shows that interviewed various artists, when interviewer asked to the artist, "why did you decide to be an artist?", many artist told the interviewer, they decided to be an artist after they saw Michael Jackson's performance. I think these kind of example shows how great Michael Jackson was. In addition, after his death, many artists held concert to remember him as "King of POP" in many countries.
I don't know much about him because his era was in 80s to 90s. However, I could hear about him through many TV shows, radio, and my mom. I think before Michael Jackson came out, music was only for listening, but his music and performance brought thought that music can be enjoy by listening and watching performance. Also I think he was a pioneer of dance music. His movement is still amazing.

I think types of music occur when there are some mental differences between musicians. To give an example, for jazz guitar players, most of them refuse the "benting" in jazz. If my memory is not deluding me, benting was seen in early blues player and then in rock n roll. That is a more slide way to pass the next higher note in the keyboard, but it sounds completely different when you bent the string or step on another. An example for drums, twin pedal is mostly used by metal band drummers, but whoever needs the same action in their music, bands such as Led Zeppelin, or Aerosmith, refused to have twin pedals for some reason. When we go in advance, we see many details that important musicians create come conflicts between each other. One say that is the proper way to do it, the other is completely disagree. Once you search about Ritchie Blackmore, for what kind of skills placed him as one of the very important guitarist of all times, you wil see that he was very unique about not repeating himself neither in solos or riffs, his arpeggios were always so unique and nothing usual especially at time when he played for Deep Purple. Now this could be an evidence for a fan to give him the highest level of respect, on the other hand, this could make no sense at all for another one who has different musical taste. Whoever is a fan of electronic music, especially minimal music, is always expecting the repeats. When we say music is a universal language, there are much situations to correct the idea. That is how people have different thoughts which came up with different combinations, ideas and techniques. Eric Clapton mentioned in past that one of the biggest desire of his life to make his audience cry with only one note. That is so similar what John Cage did. He was giving a concert in Germany, and people were all came over to watch him play his piano. But he just played a note, and then leave. He is the student of Arnold Schonberg, who is the father of atonal music. Even though Clapton's and Cage 's music styles are completely different, they were caught by a same desire. That is what makes it universal also. And that is exactly why people looking for sincerity when they are a fan of a band. That is why, when a band member or an artist, just start doing something new, it is a lot of excitement for someone, when another start hating her or him. That is what happen to Gwen Stefani when she left No doubt to make herself a solo album

michael jackson

I think Michael Jackson was definitely the king of pop in his day. I do not believe his title remains the same now. I think his recent passing boosted his record sales because people wanted to remember what it was like when he was on top. He was an incredible artist and performer. In the 80's no other popular musician could compare to his success. People who usually do not listen to pop music still know Michael's songs, and probably really like a few. Billy Jean is one of my favorites. So many artists, have been influenced by Michael's singing and dancing that it is almost unreal. His mark will be seen in pop music for a long time to come. I think that is his legacy and greatest achievement. Its not how much records he sold or songs played on the radio, its how many other musicians started their careers because of him.

disco

I think disco gets a bad rap because it came out around the time that music started to be created by machines and computer. Many of the artists were talented, but they performed differently than previous artists. They don't deserve this bad rap but many people see it that way. Artists prior to the disco era were on stage seen performing with instruments. Disco artists many times just sang to the background music. Many of them were great singers and artists it was just different music and performance.

Swagger

Swag or swagger is a term that originated in hip hop. the purpose of the term was to describe the vibes and confidence given off by a person. Today swag and swagger are used in many mainstream forms of entertainment. This term has crossed over into everyday vernacular. An example of this can be seen in the show How to Make it in America. This show is played in HBO and it shows the life of people in NYC (lower eastside, Soho,). This show embraces many elements of hip hop, especially the perceptions of swag. I think it is interesting to think about the way swag and other hip hop terms have crossed over into popular culture. It seems that this crossover is possible because people who do live in a hip hop community, want to know what it is like and live the life (the elements that think are 'glamorous" and cool).

resurection of hip hop

In the past years, there has been a popular opinion that hip hop is dying. But, there is a surge of great new rappers on the come up. For example, J Cole, Kid Cudi, and Big Sean. These up and coming artists are more lyrical than most of the rappers nowadays that are "killing" hip hop. Listening to these artists gives true hip hop fans hope that the genre is not going to die soon. We went through a phase of hip hop where all people were trying to do were make new dances and catchy hooks. But we are now moving into an era where rappers are trying to keep hip hop "alive." And these artists, such as J Cole, Kid Cudi, and Big Sean, are really lyrical, which is the essence of hip hop. Lyrics like, "For that living large but mama I aint done yet/ Sit back and watch your son rise/ Kick back until yo son set" are keepong hip hop alive

Disco

Disco music is always debated as actually being real music involving real (talented) artists. I wanted to look more into this so I googled disco music and found out that artists such as Donna Summers, Barry White, The Beegees and Earth Wind and Fire were all Disco artists. I have heard music from all of these artists and in my opinion they were definately talented people. I think the crticism of disco comes mainly from the fact that people were so attracted to this new dance music that some people could not fathom it! Basically disco music had haters! It was doing really well and of course people had to find something wrong with it. Although the disco era was short lived, people still enjoy hearing some old disco tunes every now and then.

The Ramones

The Ramones presentation last week I felt was excellent for me as they are one of the bands I just never got around to listening to them, getting into one of those phases where you go through each album over and over again. For me, I think it comes down to, like mentioned in the presentation, is that they have a very fast playing style (with limited musical ability) so while they may have rocked hard, there songs sound similar to me (or rather their sound is monotonous). Personally, to make a small comparison, I think the Clash were the best first wave punk sound.

For me, the Ramones are the Beach Boys of the urban east coast (that is probably heresy to real fans; I'm sorry) their "pop" songs like Sheena is a Punk Rocker give out a vibe that is what Brian Wilson would play if he was from Queens (maybe with added piano). This comparison probably comes from my favorite song being "Rockaway Beach", my hometown so that is the song I immediately associate the Ramones with.

Aside from the occasional "Ruby Soho" and a basically having The Gaslight Anthem's albums on repeat (which is borderline punk) I'm completely ignorant on the topic of punk yet I was still surprised that the Ramones never really broke out given their relatively commercialized success of their songs. I felt certainly that "My Sharona" or "I Wanna Be Sedated" would be a major hit.

I really enjoyed Marta's discussion on Punk. I wish that there was more time to really get into it, I would have liked to hear more about the British side of Punk rather than just the American side. Punk is not really a topic that I had known so much about, I had always knew that it was very political and I knew the sound and a few major bands but that was really it. I love how she explained what it mean to be Punk and how versatile it is and really how accepting the culture is. I also thought it was interesting to see how the genre or popular music changed completely in the 70's, that is something else I had never taken much notice to. Her discussion definitely made me want to learn more about Punk in the 70's and the Punk that is still alive and well in the world today.

Rasta Mon Bad Mon? Not really!

Before this weeks lecture about reggae music and the portrait of an artist presentation on Bob Marley, I will admit that I had a stereotypical view of what a "rasta" was. I thought that these mostly dreaded people from the Islands were just people who smoked ganga all day and sang songs about happiness like the hippies did. I was surprised to find out that rasta was the name given to someone who was a part of the Rastafarian religion. This Rastafarian religion had very strict rules about the body and the soul and some Rastas were very dedicated to this religion. In the case of Bob Marley, he was so dedicated to his religion that he did not have have his cancerous toe removed even though he knew that it could end his life, because of the Rastafarian belief in keeping all body parts together.

Although some Rastas may be your typical pothead the few of them have tarnished the name of all of them and now whenever you see something with Jamaican colors on it, its usually accompanied by marijuana leaves. Its sad that negative stereotypes are always the most dominant descriptions of groups of people but I'm just glad that I now know the truth about the Rasta.

Skinheads and Music

I imagine than when most people think of skinheads they think of the Neo-Nazi Ed Norton in American History X and the nationalistic, racist fervor similar to the ideology of the KKK. Admittedly, that is still the first thing I think of too. Skinheads have carry a negative aura.

It is sort of ironic that this image persist given the roots of the skinhead or mod movement in the UK. The music of choice was ska, rock steady, bands like Toots and the Maytals who hail from Jamaica and are just as laid back as the Jimmy Cliff/Bob Marley reggae that we associate Jamaican sound to.

Here is a Toots and Maytals song (Pressure Drop)

And later, while the skinhead movement became more of its own, 2Tone bands such as The Specials released their own ska influenced songs (faster paced usually).

Here is the Specials cover of Pressure Drop

I wonder where the evolution of the skinhead movement splintered and left the ska influenced easy going lifestyle to the xenophobic fervor we associate with today. I can't imagine the latter listening to any of this type of music. Certainly, not all skinheads share the same view in fact the range of conflicting political ideologies (or lack thereof) makes the skinhead movement so odd given its rather unique fashion sense, from tight jeans to sta-prest slacks. Maybe the problem is the unique fashion where outsiders sees separate groups from the punk rockers to neo-nazis and forcing a blanket term on them based on visual appearance. I suppose by comparing the two now I'm doing just that.

YEAH~PUNK

I am so excited about the guest lecturer this week because I am a fan of punk music!! I was very entertained by her lecture, and I think I learned a lot from it. I want to see the club that she talked about with my own eyes, it would be really awesome! I think what she said about individuality is very important in punk culture because punk is about the individual and how the individual feel about the world and how one express oneself. It is very crucial for one to have a mind of oneself and not to follow what everyone think and do.

My favorite punk band is green day, not only I love their melody of their music; I also enjoy their live performances. Even though I am not able to attend any of their concerts yet but from their concert dvds, I would really want to go to one someday!

Even though I don’t know much about politics, I feel that expressing their thoughts about the world is a very important part of what makes them a special band. They are not afraid to challenge people by singing very straightforward lyrics like “American idiot”. Greenday also amazes me in their fashion, even though they are quite mature in their age, they still dress like teenagers. I think I was being very harsh but it is what makes them special.

Reggae Music

When I hear of reggae songs nowadays, it's more upbeat and the tempo is usually at a faster pace. However, the type of reggae I enjoy is the slow tempo and interlocking rhythmic patterns in the song. The slow tempo gives you that subtle feeling like you're really in the Caribbean or in the heart of Jamaica. This type of music is relaxing.

However, now reggae music or "dance hall music" sung by artist like Sean Paul can't be compared to the reggae music sung by Bob Marley. That's just my personal opinion, that this type of genre changed for the worse.

Disco

i think disco is the most interesting genre, i guess many don't call it music since its not composed but involving more synthesizing. But i like it, its fun, goofy and colorful. Great for a retro party, dancing to those classic disco moves.

Disco gained popularity in clubs as club owners can cut cost by hiring just one DJ than an entire orchestra. I guess this is the beginning of our present club culture.

i don't know if my parents were involved in the disco craze but imagining them in flashy disco clothes and dancing those classic moves is pretty hilarious. I guess i should ask them.... :D

Disco

It is interesting that an entire genre of music can be created because of the state of the economy, like disco. Disco became popular because DJs were cheaper for club owners than live bands. Although it was short lived, the influence of disco can be seen today. It seems like disco music was the precursor to modern, present-day commercialized pop music, where you only have to sing well enough for technology to be able to distort your voice. Disco music was the first genre of music where music technology was heavily used. Eight-track tapes and cassette tapes became popular in the seventies, which lead to many technological advances in the music industry. The era of disco created the notion of technology over live bands, and that is a growing trend in music today.

Disco

After reading the article about disco, it surprised me to know that Disco first began in gay clubs. When I hear about disco music, the first thing I envision is people with shirts half-buttoned and wearing bell bottom pants with an afro, doing "Travolta's disco dance moves." After reading the rest of the article, it made much sense that since the gays couldn't find any bands that would play in their clubs, why not start making their own form of entertainment?

This new genre was often criticized by music critics or disliked by previous rock artists and musicians. However, it did not prevent them from succeeding and earning billions of dollars of money from the music industry. It eventually broaden its audience when Saturday Night Fever came out and everyone fell in love with disco.

Punk music

I really enjoyed Marta's presentation on punk music. I think she did a fantastic job explaining the whole movement surrounding punk music, which wasn't just the music itself. The whole punk movement was based around bringing about political change in a different way than the hippies had during the love generation. The movement wasn't supposed to be anti-pop culture. I also thought it was interesting that Andy Warhol was accredited with helping punk begin because I only think of him as an artist. I don't really know a lot about Andy Warhol's life, although I did see his "100 Cans" painting in the Albright-Knox museum. I looked for some information about his life and was surprised to find out that he was almost killed by someone who worked in the Factory with him because she thought he controlled too much of her life. He really was important in the music industry, as he painted portraits of famous musicians like Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Michael Jackson. I also saw a picture taken of Andy Warhol with Jimmy Carter, which was interesting because Jimmy Carter wanted punk music to stay underground.

punk

i am not a fan of punk so i don't know a lot about the genre, however, after the lecture, i got a rough idea. I like her lecture, it was fun and the video was very entertaining. I kinda wish that I could watch the whole thing, it seems fun.

I'm quite surprised that she said punk is very different to the each individual because i always thought everyone has a uniform idea about punk and to agree with the punk lifestyle would be summiting oneself to the idea. Another thing that surprised me was that many of the musicians are from elite backgrounds. I guess it shouldn't be that surprising after all punk is a form of rebel against the system.

overall, punk is not my favorite type of music, i wouldn't call it music to begin with, but i really like their fashion, even though i don't think i will ever be that brave to put on what they've put on. :)

Punk

I thought the presentation on punk was very well done. I think she presented a ton of material about how punk history and current punk. Reading another blog where someone talked about disagreeing with the clip where the guy said "anyone can be punk if you think you are then you are". I actually agree with this statement from the movie and i don't understand why it is a big deal.

To me considering yourself to be punk means you like the music, you may be rebellious or you stray away from the ideal or "textbook" way of living. I think anyone can be punk no matter how they look, the way they dress or anything. You shouldn't have to go before a committee or any type of thing for someone to be able to tell you your punk. I just don't think its a big deal if you call yourself punk and your not because who is to tell you that your not.

Reggae

When i hear the word reggae the first things that comes to my mind is Bob Marley and dreadlocks, and marijuana. I guess this is due to the fact that Bob Marley was probably the most famous reggae artist of all time who came out with great hits. Marijuana because i guess it makes you relaxed from what I have heard and that reggae music creates a "chill" atmosphere. Also because reggae music originated in Jamaica and smoking is a common thing there. But since i do not really like reggae music and have never smoked, i guess i cant relate.

I do find it interesting that this style of music can create such a worry free feeling with its slower pace rhythmic style. I like how their is a use of various musical instruments involved. I think dreadlocks are symbolical to the genera because the famous artists such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.

"You're Not Punk, and I'm Telling Everyone"

Hopefully this works. I'm posting from my phone while on my way to Rochester for the Bandits game.

Anyway, I wanted to chime in on the discussion of who's punk. Basically, I agree with Tim Armstrong in that anyone can be punk. It's not about the uniform or any sort of social / economic status. It's about the music and the community. Having gone to hardcore and punk shows in Buffalo and the surrounding areas for the better part of five years, I've met kids from all different backgrounds. I'm far from outgoing, and I don't "look" punk (most people in the scene don't, actually) , but none of that has kept me from becoming part of the community. That's one of the main reasons I fell in love with punk to begin with. I can relate with the people on a number of levels, I love the music, and I have more fun at punk and hardcore shows than anywhere else in the world.

Additionally, punk has allowed me to meet kids from all over the world. While in Boston for a fest this past summer, I had the opportunity to hang out with kids from Atlanta, Alaska, and Britain. I've seen bands from as far away as Italy, Iceland, and South Korea.

I am punk, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

worlds largest disco

I heard about the 'worlds largest disco' before class, which was last year from my cousin. He grew out a mustache for 3 months to make himself appropriate, while i know others that dress up as well. I hear from everyone i have ever talked to about it that it is a very good time, and you do it for a good cause as well. Hopefully there will be more events in the future similiar to this, where 6000 people go to get drunk and support a charity at the same time, its a very good thing for buffalo.

Michael Jacksons record deal

Sony recently signed a record deal with the late Michael Jackson for 250 Million dollars. This after he sold 31 million albums in 2009 after his death, and a successful film This is It. The article says that sony will distribute 10 albums over seven years, and it owns the rights until 2017. Also, part of the profits will go to Jackson's debts he still owed. Which leaves me with one question, why wouldn't his debts be completely paid off before sony makes these profits? Also, who does sony share the profit with family members?

Punk/emo

All this hype about Punk/Emo music...I'm not quite sure if this is considered one genre or not? I have never been huge into metal, or music that is screaming...I generally find this music to just give me a headache. I would much rather listen to music with lyrics that I can clearly understand and relate to my own life. I know that heavy metal tends to be very popular among some people, and once and awhile I like to be crazy and goof off and scream to that type of music, but besides that you will never catch me listening to that on my ipod. ;)

Guitar

So I'm learning to play the guitar.... yes I am twenty-one years old and I have never really learned to play an instrument in my entire life. I played the flute for I think 3 weeks in 4th grade before I was basically told I suck. :) But I also did not put in the effort as all my efforts were put into sports and being a crazy athlete. :) I will say guitar is so much harder than I expected...I'm sure if I had started to learn when I was at a young age it would be much easier, but I didn't think it would be this hard! I love to sing, and I've always wanted to learn to play the guitar and sing, I just find sitting around a campfire singing and playing/listening to be the most relaxing thing in the world...if anyone plays guitar do you have any suggestions for me? ;) I bought a Fender guitar, It's very nice. :)

Punk?

It's just a label. It encompasses ideals of left-wing politics and sex, and it describes an independent lifestyle. To see Tim Armstrong define "punk" so broadly was a perfect example of what punk is supposed to be about: doing your own thing. The true definition of "punk" to me means being yourself, and thinking freely. When applied to the music and lifestyle, "punk" is just a description of a style of music and dress, which seems to contradict the meaning of punk in the first place. If it's so important to go against the grain to be a punk, why concern yourself with wearing liberty spikes, leather, and combat boots? Dressing that way may be different than mainstream society, but holding tightly to punk ideals of dress is conforming to a different section of society. To me, the music is probably the most vital piece of the punk puzzle. The lyrics address issues that listeners can relate to, and the fast, chaotic instrumentation speaks to the lifestyle that punk followers live. So I think Armstrong summed it up pretty well when he said that if you feel like a punk, you are a punk. It doesn't matter how you dress, or if your friends are punks. It's about your personal lifestyle.

Who is a Punk? Judy is a punk and Sheena is a punk rocker nooooow:D

I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the guest lecturer. She is obviously very knowledgeable about the topic of punk. I have to admit when she asked the rhetorical question, "Who is a punk" I wanted to say "Judy" hoping someone would get the Ramones reference and I wouldn't be "that person" I have seen part of that film we watched clips of in class. I really liked it. I must say however, as far as our lecture on Monday, when I think of reggae, I don't think of Bob Marley. Oh no, I think of Matisyahu. Granted Bob Marley is essentially synonymous with reggae, but I happen to be on this Matisyahu kick. Nearly half of the songs on my iPod belong to Matisyahu. I do love Bob Marley though, when my mum was preggers with me she used to go to Ziggy Marley concerts and my favourite lullaby as a child was "Three Little Birds". I have to question though, it must be tough for Ziggy Marley to have to follow in the footsteps of his father. It would kind of be like one of Micheal Jackson's children trying to follow up their father's career. One of my issues with Bob Marley isn't with him nor his music, but some of those "fans" of his that listen to his music. Many listen to him merely as a justification for smoking weed in a sort of faux-Rasta movement. It's become this whole terrible sub-culture. I mean, just because you smoke weed doesn't mean you have to be a Bob Marley fan and vice versa. Alright so you smoke weed, whatever. But why do you have to use Bob Marley to justify it? Marley's lyrics had so much power in them and so much history behind them but a good portion of people listening to them don't even bother to take that into consideration. I feel like Marley has become the poster child for pot heads everywhere. There honestly are better candidates (Micheal Phelps?) Yes it's part of the Rasta movement, but it's not like all they do is crank out reggae and smoke weed. To my understanding it's just as a "spiritual act" or something of the sort. Analogous with the use of Peyote in certain native American cultures. It's not like the Navajo ran around tripping balls and making mud huts in the desert. It was a sacred thing in which you would (well could) hopefully contact The Creator. The infamous "vision quest". Granted the scale is slightly different, ganja vs. peyote, but it all falls in the same category. So grow up, and start learning about the music and culture you're trying to emulate. I think Anthony Bourdain does a really nice section on the Rasta movement in the show where he goes to Jamaica. He also brings up a good point or two. You know, in his own self-depreciating Anthony Bourdain sort of way.

Justin Bieber hype

I’m going to Canada tonight to celebrate my friends and it got me thinking about Canadian artist. I actually didn’t even know Canada had music. I thought they listened to different versions of “Oh Canada” & the latest Avril Lavigne album. Well I guess they can expand their musical taste now that Justin Bieber has arrived. Justin Bieber is a 16-year-old singer from Stratford, Ontario who has been named the prodigy of recording artist Usher. He has had a couple of chart topping single such as “One Time”, “Favorite Girl” and “Love Me.” But to be honest I haven’t listened to any of his music. But everyday I log on to twitter (follow me @ChadStar22) I see Justin Bieber is a trending topic. So I was wondering what all the hype is about. I don’t see anything special about his songs. Maybe the world needed the teeny bopper void to be felt that Chris Brown left when he started beating girls. But my point is do you guys know what the hype about Justin Bieber is because I don’t.

Why Study Music History

What’s the point of learning about music’s history? Is music’s history even important? What do I care about people’s musical taste one hundred years ago?

These are a few questions that popped up in a conversation I had with my friend yesterday. Everything has a history and many lessons can be learned from studying that history. Music history is exception to that statement. I also understand through the knowledge music history it opens doors for deeper understanding of music, its importance and meaning in our world. But does it really have meaning in this world besides making us feel an emotion, want to party or in the mood to make babies. I don’t think it does.

I decided to take this class because 1.) I registered late and it was open, 2.) the class description looked interesting, and 3.) music is a major part of my life and I wanted to learn more about it. Although music’s only meaning in the world is to be the soundtrack to our lives. That is enough and through these soundtracks we can better understand political and social history.

Reggae Music

Reggae music has always been very interesting to me. In my environment that I lived in while growing up their were these Jamaicans who resided down the block from my house and they would sell great beef patties and curry goat. Also sometimes they would throw reggae parties and I would attend. While attending these parties people would dance all night to the the beats and the American English sounding lyrics. The way they talk and wear dreadlocks as their hair style was always interesting to me. I thought about growing dreadlocks but, I decided they would not be for me. Reggae beats are always nice therefore, one can blend reggae beats with lyrics from their favorite artist and those blends would be awesome. Artist such as Bob Marley have paved the way for artist Shaba Ranks, and Maxi Priest. Learning how Jamaicans lived was very intriguing to me. From my own experience hanging out with Jamaicans is quite fun.

Grease is the Word

So I received a last minute phone call from my future Aunt-in-law who had an extra ticket for Grease for tonight at Shea's. Now I'm sure this will come as no surprise-but Grease is my all time favorite movie (I literally know every line, and for that, no one will ever watch it with me!). So naturally...I said yes! It was great-so much fun, fantastic vocals, superb accompaniment, and of course-lots of leather jackets! For those familiar with the show (movie or Broadway version) you know the scene where Frenchie meets her guardian angel (in the movie it was Frankie Avalon) and he tells her to "go back to high school." The man who played her guardian angel was none other than....Taylor Hicks. That is right ladies and gentleman...Taylor Hicks. He was hiding in an ice cream cone (the scene was sit in a soda shop) that was hanging.....and as the music began, there he was...and it was quite a scene. He was definitely trying to dance like Elvis (though how does one do that when in an ice cream cone?!)-but couldn't pull it off. Anyways-that was the only scene he was in. At the end of the show, when they have everyone come out and the audience applauds...you assume the show is completed. But shortly after-there was an announcement that Taylor was going to be performing his latest hit single for us all! And all I could think was...wow, promoting his music at the end of Grease? I was wondering if anyone has even been to a musical in which one of the cast members was a star...and they performed at the end. I would be curious to hear your thoughts!

punk

In class the other day we watched a clip, were the person said that anyone can be punk,if you think your punk than you are. I disagree with what he said about that. Ibelieve there is more to being punk than just saying ya I am. When being punk there are many things that fall into play such as the way they dress, the music they listen to and the way thay act being rebellious. I feel like someone needs to have at least two of this things to be punk. I myself lik punk music but i dont have a rebellious attitued and i dress more prep. Just because i listen to the punk music I dont feel like i have the right to say im a punk, because nothing about me makes me a punk. I just dont see how someone can want to be punk but not look or act like one and be one. This is just my view on it.

don't blame the guidos; blame disco

yes yes, we all hate that techno crap they play after hours at clubs. And i take it personally when people blame the italians for it. It's really not our fault and not all italians listen to it. I will admit that a large majority have succumb to the stereotype - only a minor technicality. The real culprit here should be disco music. Disco deviated from the big band ideology that formed when the jazz and rock n' roll genres emerged. Disco had to be weird and only focus on a DJ. Yes okay, disco probably gave us the pop music we like today. I mean, i will fully admit that i have and always will have an obsession with justin timberlake and life would be meaningless if i didn't have him. But hey, if we never had disco, then maybe there wouldn't be wannabe guido DJ's running around everywhere. THINK ABOUT IT.

AVRIL IS NOT PUNK!

So I still find it quite amusing that young people today still consider Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan and other bands to be "punk." From a musical standpoint, people would be really ticked if you called them punk because their sound is totally different. I did find it interesting that Marta pointed out that you can BE a punk if you feel like you are a punk. But I don't think that because you feel you are a punk, it is automatically transferred to your music. You can't play folk as a person who is punk and call your music "punk." I guess going by this definition, Avril Lavigne could be considered punk but her music wouldn't be. She came under fire when she first came out for being punk, probably because people don't actually know what the term means and what it refers to. It makes me laugh when girls would go to hot topic to be "punk" when we were younger (And by that, I mean avril), when a lot of punk people would rather make their own stuff. I think it's become a hazy term unless you are/were a part of that scene or you know anything about music. Regardless, it was summed up during the presentation, now I wish more people would become more aware of the root meanings of the word instead of using it loosely.

post #12

So i really liked the guest lecture that we had yesterday. Not only was it awesome because it was about punk rock but Marta did a fantastic job on the presentation. Although she doesn't speak that loud you can tell that she obviously loves punk rock and studying it and writing about it. I have a book that is probably a lot like the books she sited in her lecture which is called "PUNK: The Definitive Record of a Revolution" (written by Stephen Colegrave and Chris Sullivan). It is a pretty awesome book (although i haveyet to finish it cause I'm really not a reader). If anyone likes punk rock and wants to learn more about the history of it check this book out.
Anyway. I like how Marta also pointed out the gay movement that was happening during the time punk was coming out. In the book i mentioned earlier they also mention it a lot but not in a way of like "the the gay movement was happening" but more in a way of here are some homosexual people who were influential in punk rock, which i think is pretty cool.

and the clothes these people used to wear! CRAZY

Death ('70s Punk)

Death was an African-American punk band formed in Detroit, MI in the early 1970s. The story goes that the band was recording with Clive Davis of Columbia Records in 1975. After completing seven songs of what was to be a twelve-song recording session, Davis approached the band about changing their name in order to make themselves more marketable, but the band refused. As a result, the band was almost completely lost in punk history, with only an extremely rare, self-released, two-song 7" existing from the recording session.

In 2009, however, Drag City, a record label out of Chicago, released the seven-song session on an LP entitled ...For The Whole World To See. The album sparked a bit of a frenzy among punk enthusiasts. Jack White said of the record, "I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. When I was told the history of the band and what year they recorded this music, it just didn’t make sense. Ahead of punk, and ahead of their time." His thoughts were echoed by many within the punk community.

I've listened to the album a few times myself, and I'm extremely glad that Drag City was able to save this band from the depths of punk lore. Death slots in perfectly between bands such as MC5, The Stooges, etc. and the Ramones. Anyone who is interested in early punk should give them a listen.

Punk Culture

Marta's guest lecture today was really enlightening, as the only punk culture I was really familiar with was the 2000s version, and though I was aware that the culture began in the 1970s (68) and what the music entails from that era, I wasn't aware of what the 70s culture was like. It was really enlightening, and I realize a lot of my tastes artistically, culturally and musical coincide with the 70s punk movement. However, I really don't identify or particularly enjoy the music and some mentality of the current punk movement. The music of the 70s is something I always pegged as classic rock because it was what my parents listened to, and I associated punk much more with the 2000s version. Also, I was not aware the Punk resurged in the 80s as New Wave, and New Wave is one of my favorite genres, being raised almost exclusively on Talking Heads. Anyway, I really appreciated this lecture and I think I may have decided on the focus for my paper.

punk presentation

today in class we had the presentation on punk which i found very intriguing. I believe that punk is one of the best genre's in american music because of the simplistic instrumentals and politically charged lyrics. but there was one major problem i had with the presentation, she kept talking about the sex pistols as if the scene lived and died with that band and thats just not true.

Granted the music they play is punk, but the members are pretty far from punk, at least for the time. The Sex Pistols were made by EMI just to cash in on the punk movement. this goes against almost everything the early punk movement was about. A record label creating a punk band just to make money is surely not punk.

Now i love the Sex Pistols just as much as the next guy, and Anarchy in the U.K is still an amazing album, but people do not seem to realize that they were not just a band from the underground.

Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis was one of the speakers in those movies we watched in class, but I forget when we watched them. He came to UB on Saturday with his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He was just one member in the band. They put on a 1.5 hour show, so not too long, but that's about how long a jazz concert goes. It was a real nice show. I was sitting up in the balcony with my friend from Fredonia and we were underdressed. I was planning on putting on a nice shirt, but I just forgot, oh well. I knew it was a nice theatre because I had been there for Derek Trucks last year. Wynton introduced the first couple of songs, said some jokes, and said how everyone in the band can improvise and write their own music. The band was a way to express theirselves and share their ideas. This was not what I expected. Wynton did take solos, but the other members of the band played equally well. After about two songs, he turned it over to a Saxophonist, Ted Nash. He had written a seven movement piece and they played the whole thing. What was cool about it was each piece was inspired a an artwork by an artist. He was explaining how music can also be art. The names of the pieces were of the inspired work. One was called "Picasso," another "Van Gogh," and another "Pollack," just to name a few. Before each movement of the piece Nash would describe the artist and how they did their work. Next, he would describe the piece of artwork that inspired him for the song. He would also describe his thought process behind each song. The one I remember best was his movement titled "Pollack." Jackson Pollack was an artist that would seemingly put random splashes of paint onto a canvas, but to Pollack each splash meant something. To a lot of people it just looked like one of those paintings that "I could paint that, I can't believe this is famous." Pollack's art could be described as "organized chaos." Nash said he wanted to make his music sound like "organized chaos." He said he just wrote out all his ideas separately, and then he rearranged them to make a song. This was the last song on the concert and it was phenominal. I could picture Pollack's art in my head. It almost seemed as though Nash was changing things on stage as the band was playing the song. It was incredible. I thought this was an excellent show and shows that you can listen to music visually too. I had never seen this done before, so it was a first for me.

500 Days of Summer

So, I just was forced to watch this movie over the weekend, as well as go to two shows (h2o one day and lemuria the next). I wasn't a huge fan of H2O and I thought Lemuria were pretty good live, even though I never liked listening to them. People think it's ridiculous when I say I don't like hardcore because of everything they've contributed to the straight edge and vegan movements. I'm not a huge lemuria fan because I am not a fan of Indie....or more specifically, indie kids but after giving them a second chance, they weren't too bad and it supports local music.
What got me on the topic of my weekend, I wasn't a fan of 500 days of summer (I guess I'm a difficult person to please....I haven't been a fan of anything in this post so far) but one thing that I LOVED about the movie was when they talk about octopus's garden being the girl's favorite song and the argument they got into. It reminded me of my own life. I loved this song during my younger years and I wondered how many kids my age understood that reference. Octopus's Garden is one of my favorite beatles songs, but it reminded me of getting into fights my entire life about the kind of music I listened to. I grew up listening to classic rock and I was made fun of constantly. I got into so many fights with people who said the beatles and other bands sucked.
Well, now that I'm many years older, it has become popular to like once you hit college age. Now stuff that I was made fun of by these kids is their favorite music. Go figure.

Johnny Cash

I'd like to respond to Johnny Cash, I Just finished watching "Walk the Line" not too long ago. I didn't get a chance to finish it before break because I went south with the lacrosse team, mad fun time, but that's not what this is about. Johnny Cash's movie was full of emotional twists. He tended to wear black in the movie when he performed and it hit me, whenever someone would say, "Are you attending a funeral," I think he actually was. On the shows that he decided to wear black, I think he was dedicating them to Jack. In Johnny's mind, those shows were a funeral. It was like a "look what I am doing now Jack," type deal for Johnny. I don't know if that was what it really was for, but that's what I thought at the time. He also did a lot of ridiculous things to try and get June to marry him. I cannot believe she actually did. I know it is aa movie, but I mean it was based on true events. It was a crazy movie and I thoroughlly enjoyed it.

post #11

So this video really changed the way i view Bob Dylan (or as i call him "The Dyl-man"

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1156305/no_direction_period/

Not only is it one of the funniest things i have ever seen but, it is also because i feel like Bob Dylan did write every sings song ever. he has SO MANY SONGS. I don"t understand how one can write that many and still be able to write more and make new albums with out repeating anything. Then again i am not a huge Dylan fan so maybe he does repeat things and chords and songs but at the current moment i will stick to my opinion just stated. But anyway, watch that video (for the few other then katie who might read this blog) and enjoy. classic Bob Dylan there.

post # 10?

So unfortunately for me i totally forgot to do my blog last night which sucks but i will do it for this week forsure. At the current moment i am listening to the Beatles on vinyl. I don't know which record it is but whatevs. To be honest i'm not a huge fan of the Beatles. As good as everyone says they are i just can NOT get into them. Yeah i know all of their popular songs from the radio and they seem pretty good but i can not listen to them on my own free time. I know some people if they read this would be like "WHAT???!!!! HOW DO YOU NOT LIKE THE BEATLES!!!!!!" blah blah but i just can't get into it.
My friend Anthony loves the beatles and always plays them on guitar and i always ask "who's that?" and he goes "dude come on it's the Beatles" in this strange nasally British accent. It's pretty funny.

Foreign Music

Music is always going to be important in cultures all over the world. There are different kinds of music for every culture in the entire world. It doesn't mean you have to be from a certain culture to like another cultures music. I heard a little bit of Japanese music when my roommate was studying and it was a little bit confusing. I also noticed there are not many or any foreign radio stations in the United States. I believe with our country being as diverse as ever it would be great to here foreign music in America. It would be quite interesting to hear different music in different languages. That music kind of put me in a good mood. The only problem is if you don't speak that particular language you are going to be like what the heck. Or does foreign music really exist maybe my roommate was joking with me but the music did sound a little weird.

Coming of Age in Mississippi

So I am reading a book called "Coming of Age in Mississippi" by Anne Moody, which is set in post-antebellum Mississippi. She had become Homecoming Queen and during the parade through her town, everyone began to sing Swanee River.

"The faces of the whites had written on them some yearning. The Negroes looked sad...There was something about "Swanee River" that touched most of those old whites singing along with the band. There was also something that made the old Negroes even sadder. I got a feeling that there existed some kind of sympathetic relationship between the older Negroes and whites..."

This passage stuck out to me because it made me think about our previous class discussion about the lyrics of this song. From my knowledge this book is at least semi-autobiographical , which suggests that people viewed this song as nostalgia. when Moody states that it symbolizes a relationship between whites and blacks it suggests that the song evokes dependence that each of them had on one another.
One of the ironic things to me was that I do remember that the composer of the song had not grown up in the south yet the song reminds southerners of the old days.

beatles and the Stones..

Beatles and Rolling stones are legendary rock band in all over the world. Personally, I like the Beatles than Rolling stones, because my mom likes the Beatles, so I could hear their music since I was young. I think the Beatles is affected by rock and roll style, while the Rolling stones is affected by R & B. Also Rolling stones' music is more like against old generation or rebellion. In contrast, The Beatles is more like love, peace, harmony. I think the Beatles' lyrics are more hopeful and beautiful than the Rolling stones. I also like their positive mind in lyrics. I can't write much things about the Rolling Stones, because I only heard few song from them unlike the Beatles.

Rolling Stones Tribute on American Idol

On the episode of American Idol this week they decided to pay tribute to one of the greatest rock bands, The Rolling Stones. I thought it was cool that they recognized The Stones and paid tribute to how great and influential they are, but most of the contestants butchered their songs. But what could one expect? Afterall, it was The Stones' songs they were covering, and in my opinion, no one can perform their songs better than them. The judges critique for one contest was that the song was not believable and that they weren't feeling or protraying the time of the song. I think it would be hard to get the message of the song across, especially if it is not a song that you wrote or something that you may have experienced before. I just thought it was interesting that they picked to pay tribute to The Stones this week because we had talked about them in class.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is an extremely poetic lyricist and an excellent musician. It is very difficult to master the technique of playing harmonica and guitar at the same time. Despite this, Dylan has always had one major criticism: He cannot sing. Though this is widely viewed as negative criticism, I wonder if Bob Dylan would have been such a success if he could sing. The sound of his voice compliments his style of music and his metaphorical lyrics, making his singing more like reading a poem at a coffee house than singing lyrics for a song. Not only that, but his style offstage matched his music very well. I think that this made the music more personal because it showed the audience that he is the same guy on and off stage, which made him, in a way, trustworthy to the crowd. He was not the musician who was portrayed in the media as friendly and nice in order to gain popularity, but was actually a jerk off camera.

a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square

I noticed that a lot of people are talking about Wale. I listen to hip hop all the time and trust me Wale should not be jumbled in the same category as some hip hop artist. I mean this is a very good way. It is shocking to me that Wale is put in the same category as an entertainer like Soulja Boy.
I didnt go to the concert today but my friend went. He is a huge Wale fan and he was disappointed by the crowd size. He mentioned that he thought a lot of people werent there because Wale is still an underground artist, but I actually think thats incorrect. Wale has been featured in numerous magazines, has collaborated with various artists and in my eyes is fairly well known. I think people didnt come out today because people may not view him as an entertainer.
I think it is very important to distinguish between a music entertainer and a music artist. Soulja Boy is an entertainer. Wale is an artist. Entertainers can make a crowd hype but an artist can make a crowd think. Wale does not need to get up on the stage and do some crazy dance, where as Soulja Boy would be booed if he wasnt dancing. I am not saying that the two do not overlap, but being an entertainer doesnt make you an artist.
In my eyes comparing Wale to someone like Soulja Boy is like comparing Lauryn Hill to Kesha!

On another note I just wanted to point out that it seems like Justin Beiber is becoming another Justin Timberlake and that really disturbs me

Soul Music in a Slide

Can you summarize soul music in one side?

That’s the question that popped in my head during Wednesday’s class. An answer quickly burst into my head as quickly as the question did. And the answer was no. I understand time is limited for class. We only have 50 minutes and usually by the time I arrive we only have 40 minutes of class. But even with that understood, soul music was the most important genre of the 1960’s. For soul music peaked during the civil rights movement. It gave blacks in America is voice in mainstream America. It was also the first genre that was exclusive to African Americans. Songs like James Brown’s “Say It Loud” ignited black ethnocentrism in a time of great oppression. Not to mention it birth the inspiration for young Michael Jackson to become a performer. Regardless soul music’s impact reaches more than just musical history but it reaches American history and you cannot summarize that in a 1 minute slide.

Beatles v. Stones

Everyone has different opinions on music, and everybody has different reasons for why they like the music that they do. They also have different reasons for why do not like some music. With the Beatles and the Stones, there could have been many reasons for why people usually favored one or the other; style, lyrics, stage performance, etc.

I believe that one reason for this is that the Beatles had many songs about love, peace, and happiness, whereas the Stones sang more about social rebellion. The Stones were also a "harder" style of rock than the Beatles. With stage performance, the Beatles would stand and play their songs, and the Stones would put on more of a show. There are many other differences between the two bands that could be the cause behind people favoring one over the other, and it would be near impossible to pick them all out.

From Smurf to Smile

While reading the article Surf to Smile from the readings text. I noticed that the Beech Boys was always trying to be innovative with song writing and music producing. They did not want to write or produce similar music that other artist promoted. The Wilson brothers spent long hours in the studio making new music praying it would sell. In the music industry there is always competition therefore, the Wilson's new they had to become extraordinary. In my eyes Beech Boys is similar to a family operated business. They also spent hours in the studio preparing there new song Good Vibrations that he Brian Wilson knew would be the best. This shows that hard work will definitely pay off and Brian Wilson the leader of the brothers in my eyes had the heart of a lion. Beech Boys was great for the music industry because they definitely were competitive and were not second to anyone.

Billy Joel & Elton John Concert

I went to the Billy Joel and Elton John concert over spring break with my mom who has seen them once before and it was AMAZING! It was without a doubt one of the better concerts I have been to. I was absolutley shocked at how extremely talented they both are at playing the piano. It was a pretty long concert too, which rocked. They first played together with their pianos facing towards eachother and then Elton John played solo for about an hour followed by Billy Joel who played for around the same length of time solo as well. After they each played solo, they played together again and closed the show with piano man, one of my favorites! Billy Joel was actually pretty funny too, much better stage presence than Elton John, but Elton John's voice and piano playing spoke for itself. At one point during the concert Billy Joel got on top of his piano, belly down, and spun himself around. He also spun the microphone stand around and wasn't very successful at it...he dropped it, but it was still awesome to see him do that. Billy Joel was aslo quite the jokester.
The concert was so amazing, they pretty much played all their greatest hits and it was so awesome to hear them play and sing their songs together. Elton John's voice is wonderful and I'm so glad I got the chance to see him and Billy Joel in concert together!

Bob Dylan's Cynicism

Bob Dylan's interviews are hilarious. Absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed reading this interview, because his humor is dry and at times very poignant. The way he reacts to what others say about his music really shows how almost unimportant he feels he is. Also, his indirectness and purposeful ambiguity are frustrating but funny. His ability to distance himself from his fame in this way is impressive. He's also as cynical about Hollywood and other trendy places, but confusingly appreciates them at the same time. Also, I wonder how he would feel about my writing of this blog entry.

Wale @ UB

I've been listening to Wale's mixtapes for a while now, so I decided to check him out live at Alumni Arena tonight. As someone touched on earlier, Wale is one of the better up-and-coming hip-hop artists, and his live show certainly didn't disappoint. He performed for just over an hour, and did a nice mixture of stuff from his mixtapes and his album, Attention Deficit. He was energetic and spent a lot of time interacting with the crowd, both on stage and from the middle of the floor.

I was a little surprised there weren't more people there, since it was free to students, but either way it was a great night. Hopefully the SA was able to raise a reasonable amount of money for Haiti, and will continue to bring good shows to UB for more than just Fall Fest and Spring Fest.

Oh, and if you are into hip-hop and haven't checked out Wale yet, his mixtapes are available for free (legal) download online. Look for them.

Dreamettes

As I sat down to write thie post I realized that my mother was watching Dreamgirls and since the movie deals with R&B music during the eras of doo-wop, soul, Motown, disco, and funk during the 60s and 70s I decided it fit into what we recently talked about in class. The movie shows a very good example of artists blatantly stealing music from other artists. The difference between this movie and others is that they do not only show white artists stealing from black artists but also black artists stealing from other black artists which is even worse! It also portrays the turmoils of early black recording labels and how much inner conflict was going on with image issues, lead singers, and money. I liked this movie very much and would definately recommend it to anyone that has not seen it yet.

Selling Out

To me, the only ways an artist can really sell out are by changing their style, blindly following the demands of a label, or changing their beliefs (political, etc.) strictly in order to MAKE MONEY. I'm all for bands altering their sound, addressing different topics in their music, or whatever. But, I think music is about much more than money. While I'm not overly concerned with an artist's reasons for making music, I understand why it upsets fans to think that their favorite artists have become more driven by the money than anything else.

In the case of Bob Dylan, I don't really see his decision to move from acoustic to electric as "selling out." Dylan explains in the interview "Chaos is My Friend" that he wanted to try something new, so as not to let his music become stale, and I have no reason not to believe him. Obviously not everyone was going to enjoy the new sound, but as long as it was truly what he wanted to do, I have no problem with it.

Mutual Exclusivity

Concerning the apparent animosity between fans of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, I think that's pretty strange, but believable. They had a very different image though in reality they were both very similar bands. They both came to America during the British Invasion in the Sixties and they were both rock bands, but their outward image was radically different. The Beatles displayed a clean, almost respectable, look while the Stones went for what is now the classic "bad boy" look. Their music was even similar, most notably in The Stones' Beggar's Banquet and The Beatles' White Album. However, the music of any time period tends to sound very similar, and draw from peers of the time.

Personally, I don't see it as a black and white choice. I was brought up listing to both, and like them almost equally. The Stones and the Beatles are not mutually exclusive, and I see no reason for not liking both.

Hey Bobbo!

I found Dylan's response to those of his critics who accuse him of selling out amusing. He himself seems to be amused by these critics. Im guessing that he had grown bored of adoring fans long before and probably found negative mail and accusations of selling out amusing. He also knows that his music is more real to him than any booing will ever be. Dylan also seemingly shoots down accusations of "selling out" by explaining that his previous acoustic sound was too sure of a thing, which bored him. I think that the move to electric provided excitement and the unknown. I think Dylan also enjoyed the accompaniment of the full band that he enjoyed with his electric setup, in contrast with his solo-acoustic performances. I got the impression that maybe Dylan doesnt necessarily enjoy doing interviews. He seemed to be giving vague answers. Maybe its because i was not alive at the time and therefore dont understand the cultural references.

60s

Even though the 60s was a period of social change, the most popular musicians were all white. When we talk about rock music, there seems to be almost no black musician unlike in rock and roll, or R&B eras. In the past, for a genre, there always seemed to have competition between white and black artistes, but for rock, it doesn't seem to have a rivalry going on. In the present day too, people who like rock are mostly white, and the genre doesn't get the attention of black people.

Lennon's quote

John Lennon's quote about Christianity caused a lot of controversy back in the day, but he said that he will be proved right, that Christianity will shrink. I guess he was proved right, whether or not you believe in God, Christianity has no where near the following it once had. While the idea may have seemed crazy at the time, it seems he say past the present and saw where society was going. Making him not only a genius of an artist, but a genius of a person

Difference between soul and R&B

Although these two are very similar, i feel like there is one distinct difference. When you hear a soul or R&B song, they usually both sing the same tune. But the main difference to me is that the artists who sang soul more than likely actually experienced the problems that they were singing, as to R&B the artist is most likely trying to sell a record. Also, i think soul was probably more popular back then because the problems the artist was experiencing were more than likely the same problems the audience were experiencing, so they could relate more, hence the music was probably more popular.

Rolling stones

i think both the stones and beetles are great bands that produced many great songs. I personally don't favor one over another because the two have very different music styles and i like them both. The stones has a badder image and a stronger drum in their songs while the beetles are more of the present day pop. I feel the beetles has better lyrics while the stones has better melodies.

Discussing the Mann

Well, William Mann's writing about the Beatles differs from previous writers in that he is not concerned with the superficial aspects of beatlemania, but rzther the music itself. Mann concentrates on the Beatles as musicians and composers. He goes into detail describing the musical theory inherent in the beatles complicated vocal harmonies. He describes the original manner in which the beatles to write their songs. He basically claims that if parents will ignore the loud volume, they will recognize the music as very good.
This is in direct contrast with the view of Strongin, who calls their vocal harmonies incoherent, despite the fact that the beatles harmonies are very well respected and admired. My opinion would side with that of Mann. As i cut my musical teeth on the entire beatles catalog, i feel their songwriting withstands the test of time, and the quality of their compositions is very hard to deny.

I'm not sure if most people know that Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band started out as a concept album. Each of the Beatles got their own new persona and at the end of the first song, "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band," the band introduces Billy Shear who is actually Ringo and he sings, "With a Little Help From My Friends." After those two songs the idea of a concept album goes out the window.
I did know that the Beatles credited the Beach Boys saying that if Pet Sounds did not exist, Sgt. Pepper's would have never existed. It's a shame that Brian Wilson went a little insane after the making of Pet Sounds it would have been interesting to see what he would have come back with as a response to Sgt. Peppers.

Rock n Roll vs Rock

I believe that there is a difference between Rock n roll and rock music. Even though rock music stems from rock n roll i think there is a huge difference. When i think of rock n roll i think of bands and artists like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Chuck Berry. When i think of rock music i think of rock music i think groups like The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin.

I think the two types of genres has a different type of sound that made them different. I think the time period has an influence in the distinction of the type of music. Rock has a more electric feeling then rock n roll. Rock n roll was either derived from a r&b or a country side of theme. I think rock has more of a role wit the electric guitar many rock bands having more guitar solos which also differentiates from rock n roll.