Fatkidslove cake is a big proponent of reading, even in this fast paced “I want it now and preferably on an iPhone” type of world. There is just something about the feeling of running your hand over a nice matte covered book–the lightly textured graininess to it–that I find kind of exhilarating. Besides, you’re less likely to have smudges and finger prints on matte covered books than on the glossies, and that is important if you’re an anal book hoarder like I am.
Generally, I feel that most things are worth reading once, even if only for the exercise of reading in itself. This is especially true of the book that is gifted to you. Not only does it present somewhat of a literary challenge in terms of interest, but there is that weight of obligation that comes along with it. And as big boys and girls, we all know that sometimes we have to do things in the cringing face of reluctance. In this case, it’s the obligatory read. Allow me to expound.
Around this time every year Beloit College releases an email about the things incoming college class of the current year have always known or never known. Generally, I find the list to be an oversimplified generalization, but every year there are one or two which hit home about the ever-widening age gap between me and college students (this year: “There has always been Pearl Jam.”)
Nothing, though, has made me feel quite so old as Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin’s discussion of what music must have been like before the Internet. People must have like, listened to the radio and stuff!
Couple that video with the fact that you remember a time before Boris Yeltsin was the leader of Russia, and you want to cry in the corner for your misspent youth.
In addition to making me feel old though, SSLYBY make a good point. For a long time there seemed to be a gap between the music lovers who first bought music on vinyl and all the rest of us, but it seems to be shrinking. A lot of people who were far too young to grow up in the heyday of vinyl still own record players. In fact, I have seen advertisements around New York for a DJ who only uses Victrolas. But the jump from physical to digital is more extreme than just different kinds of media, because, as SSLYBY get at, it’s about accessibility, not technology. Back in the day, if you were the kid who could find a Dead Kennedys tape, you were a god. Now, you could download it almost instantaneously. (more…)
It’s time for me to confess something shameful. I’m a fan of Gossip Girl. Yes, I know the teen drama should be above me, but it’s not. Aside from being one of the most entertaining hours of television each week, the show also introduced the world to The Pierces:
However, despite all the good it’s done, Gossip Girl may have destroyed the concert going experience for me.
In one episode, Serena van der Woodsen and Georgina Sparks (respectively portrayed by Blake Lively and Michelle Trachtenberg for those unfamiliar) are shown flirting with some guys at a bar while putting on fake personas. On TV it’s sort of cute; in real life it’s just annoying. (more…)
We feeble humans are always wondering what this world would be like if we had superpowers. Listening to The Feelies talk about all the things they could do to make the world a better place if they were invisible got me wondering why we always assume that once you have superpowers you’re instantly interested in changing the world. What if you were all powerful but extremely lazy? Uhhhh, kill Bin Laden? Do you know how exhausting it is to fly across the world only covered in a cape? I mean, the last time I did it I almost froze to death like a refugee hiding in the wheel well of a 747.
Maybe not having superpowers is just the ultimate excuse for procrastination and underachievement. You could still actually do all of those things if you weren’t invisible. You could kill the politicians you don’t like, you could disarm nuclear bombs. I’m not sure it would be any easier to disarm nuclear bombs being invisible. Sure, you could get into secure locations a little easier, but being invisible doesn’t help me figure out whether to cut the blue wire or the red wire.
I think it’s all about ambition, aspiration and perseverance. If you really want to do something, do it. We can change the world, we can recycle more, we can create less waste. We live at or beyond our means instead of saving or donating. Maybe we do try to help, but isn’t there always more we can do?
I think that is why indie music and labels are becoming so popular. Signing with a major label used to seem like being granted superpowers. You’re an unknown band and all of a sudden some balding, bloated A&R fairy would wave his magic wand and you’d be showered with drugs and groupies and MTV appearances and money. But I think we realize that isn’t the reality of the music business anymore. Major label recording contracts aren’t a golden ticket. There is no magic spell for overnight success. There’s only loving what you do, and good old fashioned hustle.
It’s still warm out, but the first inklings of fall say one thing to me: Excellent TV is back! While some people were riveted by the Olympics, it kept me away from the TV to enjoy the last dregs of summer. But now, there’s way too much to watch! Will I ever go see a concert again?
Along with the multi-hour reintroduction to Heroes, and another addictive J.J. Abrams franchise, I am excited to actually watch Californication now that I know it’s a documentary about the life of David Duchovny and not just some drama.
Sadly, a few of my favorite shows are still waiting to make an appearance, notably Lost and the L-Word. Thankfully, though I can’t watch new episodes of the L-Word, Leisha Hailey is omnipresent. In addition to spawning a social network, an L-Word spinoff and her own indie record label, Hailey’s band Uh Huh Her is being talked about everywhere I turn.
Which made me wonder why she’s one of the few people who can sustain a popular acting and singing career at the same time. There’s the long list of awful examples of actors become singers: Bruce Willis, Don Johnson and Eddie Murphy for starters. There are some singers who’ve left music to become actors, like Marky Mark Wahlberg.
But how come no one does both equally well and at the same time? And especially not in indie music! I can only assume Leisha is some superwoman. Thankfully she has her band mates to keep her honest and frankly discuss her faults with Uncensored Interview.
I think the secret is to be very good at what you do with a medium sized audience in each arena. Does anyone else have any theory for why Leisha can successfully do it while no one else can?
Two weeks ago, Poingly pontificated on the emergence of The Smell scene in L.A., which has little to do with malodorous emissions and infrequent shower habits, and a lot to do with indie bands that have taken up residence nightly at a club called The Smell. From all accounts however, the club apparently does smell like a homeless St. Bernard decomposing in a pile of rotten guacamole.
As philosophy has shown us, in order for something to exist and have meaning, its exact opposite must also exist. Good cannot be without evil. Light cannot be without dark. And The Smell scene cannot be without the Yacht Rock scene.
That’s right, just as there are tons of young indie bands willing to grit it out in the seediest, most run down, urine-soaked beer joints on the Sunset Strip, there also exist bands that dream of throwing on a Hawaiian shirt or sports coat (navy, white or off-white ONLY), grabbing some cognac and heading down to the harbor to play only the smoothest indie rock.
I’m talking smooooooth like a baby’s oiled up ass sliding down a marble iceberg lined in cashmere. But don’t take my word for it, listen to Aaron from Earlimart extol the (smooth) virtues of Yacht Rock – aka, Michael McDonald’s gift to God, who then re-gifted it back to us mortals:
McDonald. Cross. Messina. Loggins. If there were a Mount Rushmore of smooth sounds, these would be the chiseled granite faces looking down onto our tiny, meager, considerably non-smooth existence. Abused and forgotten for what seems like millennia (actually only 25 years or so), Yacht Rock is rightfully gaining newfound attention thanks to The 40 Year Old Virgin, as well as its very own web series coincidentally called Yacht Rock. Its popularity has even smoothly sailed across the Atlantic to Ireland and hypnotized the lovely Gemma Hayes:
It’s nice to see indie artists like Gemma, Earlimart and even Heloise and The Savoir Faire come out of the woodwork and show their vocal support for smooth rock. However, there is one problem with the emerging Yacht Rock scene–there’s zero actual indie bands playing smooth music right now. There’s no indie Christopher Cross writing the next “Sailing,” no poor man’s Michael McDonald to truly tell us What a Fool Believes and no DIY Loggins to let us know that we’re in The Danger Zone.
That’s why I’m calling on one brave indie band to light the fuse on this powder keg I call the Yacht Rock scene and cause the smoothest explosion you’ll ever see. Indie is just aching for the next big thing, and that next big thing just happens to wear a captain’s hat.
It’s no secret that record sales are in the toilet these days, and I don’t want to turn this post into another bleak assessment of the music industry. No, I’m here to give a glimmer of hope to all those who have been dropped from a label, laid-off or are just struggling in general. We can save the music industry; there is hope. That hope, my friends, comes from a little band called the Eagles.
In November of 1999, the Eagles Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 became the best selling album in the United States after selling 26 million copies. As of January of 2006, that number jumped to 29 million–or approximately 10% of the US population (I actually prefer thinking that 90% of Americans are actually smart enough to NOT own this album, but anyway…). For those who want to crunch the numbers, that breaks down to three million albums in six years. That’s 500,000 each year or a little under 10,000 each week.
That’s not exactly a small feat. Crazy Town’s The Gift of Game was released that same week in 1999, had tons of promotional money behind it and that annoying “Butterfly” song was shoved down our throats. Album sales for The Gift of Game sit at about 1.5 million, half of what the Eagles sold in that same time period. To give further perspective, an album that sells 10 thousand copies in a week general finds its way onto Billboard’s Top 100 these days. The Fratellis hit #80 after selling 9,600 units one week in June.
As time goes on, the Eagles will probably seem like a good investment–not even as a long-term investment, but on a week-to-week basis. After all, 10 thousand units is certainly worth some attention! So why innovate when one can duplicate? How can the music industry recreate The Eagles’ success each week?
First off, identify who is actually buying the music. For the Eagles, the age demographic is probably older considering (1) it’s a recording from the 70′s and (2) they are actually buying the record as opposed to downloading. However, after 30 years how is it possible that people who want this album still don’t own it? I just don’t buy it (figuratively, that is).
However, this album has been around for 30 years. I can’t really name anything in my apartment that is even close to that old. Some people probably bought the album on 8-track back in the day–then cassette a few years later–followed by a CD of the recording after that. One time a cat puked on one of my CDs, and I had to buy another copy. Maybe the Eagles’ Greatest Hits has just reached such penetration that the weekly sales are these same 20 million or so replacing the record.
If this is the case, the way to save the industry is clear: Destroy all Eagles records.
Think about it. Not only will this result in a huge boost in album sales, but the Eagles will be working overtime to rerecord their classic work, providing money for a studio, producer, engineer, etc. Furthermore, how could the Eagles not tour in support of this effort? This will further boost ticket sales and venue revenue. It’s a solid plan I tell you! Come on, you know this solution is way more awesome and creative than “switching to a digital model” like some bands think the industry should do (yes, I actually had the guts to link to the Hanson interview!):
TOPICS: fatkidslovecake