I Predict A Riot

The trial of punk band Pussy Riot has captured the attention of an international audience over these last few months, coming to a fever pitch this last week when the 3 female defendants were sentenced to serve 2 years jail time each for the charge of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred".  There have been countless articles written about this case, so instead of rehashing all the specifics to the uninitiated, check out this piece here.

I'm concerned with the dichotomy of the internet when it comes to important stories like this.  On one hand, Western society would know virtually nothing about Pussy Riot without the myriad reports of this case.  There have been several articles praising the group and defending their actions, bringing to light how Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are blatantly being made examples of for dissenting against Putin and his Russian regime.  A multitude of protests and readings of their closing statements in court have been covered by almost every major news corporation, as well as music news sites.  I'm ecstatic to see this issue hit home with so many around the world and the support that is being garnered.

But then there is the other hand.  We live in the world of the 24 hour news cycle.  Aggregates and journalists are always looking to break the next huge story, and this causes amnesia in the common information consumer.  News that was important one day becomes buried underneath dreck like whom Katie Holmes is dating the next day.  It's hard to keep concerned citizens involved with important issues when we're inundated with so much rhetoric about EVERYTHING!!

This doesn't just go for Pussy Riot either.  Go on the Huffington Post (an aggregate that I do enjoy reading which has had a multitude of Pussy Riot coverage) and check the headlines.  The top stories change almost every hour, from politics to shootings to a porn star syphilis outbreak.  Yes, it's convenient that we have all this information available to us, but it's delivered in a way that is extremely disposable.  A subject will be under intense scrutiny and then buried under the endless minutiae of other less topical happenings within the same day.  This goes for any aggregate, not just HuffPost.

I don't want to see the Pussy Riot story go six feet under and become forgotten.  If they're out of sight, they're out of mind unfortunately.  It's great to see the outpour of support from artists and public and private citizens right now, and I hope the message doesn't get lost.  Society can't afford to turn a blind eye to important occurrences such as these and allow them to become minute footnotes in history.  Progress has always come from the outliers who take a stand for what they believe in, and Pussy Riot are no exception.  They've brought global attention to the way women are viewed and treated by the Russian government and are unapologetic in their actions.  They are rebellious role models and I believe that is the root of why Putin's government is being so harsh with the sentencing.  How amazing to have a regime afraid of your actions!!

I guess my ultimate point is that anyone who is concerned about Pussy Riot (or any other civil rights issue, for that matter) needs to keep making their voice heard.  It's so easy to be singular and anonymous in today's societal archetype, but if forward thinkers refuse to stay silent behind a worthy cause, there's no way they can be ignored.  My goal is to get a benefit organized in the next few weeks in support of Pussy Riot in my hometown of Las Vegas.  Do something, even if you're scared, because if you believe it's important enough, you'll always find others who are right there with you.

“I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.” 

-Dr. Seuss

If you want to find ways to help the Free Pussy Riot movement, click here.  Keep on fighting the good fight!! 

Refused Party Program: Chicago Contingent 7/26/12

On Thursday, July 26th, I was fortunate enough to catch OFF! and Refused at the Congress Theater in Chicago.  It's an experience I will never forget.  Easily, it was the best concert I've ever been to!  Often in blogs concerning music events, hyperbole is a second language, but I am not exaggerating.  I've seen Rage Against The Machine's reunion show at Coachella 2007, and even that doesn't hold a candle to the majesty of what I witnessed in Chicago.

My partner in crime, Dizzle Q. Guapo, and I arrived a half-hour before the doors opened and the line was already over 100+ people deep.  To see that kind of anticipation from so many others was quite a telling sign of the greatness that was about to unfold.  The line moved super fast once the theater opened, so it was straight to the merch booth for a sweet t-shirt, then into the venue.

Tangent Time: **OK, Vegas.  Let's take note.  We are completely lacking in awesome venues.  The Congress blew me away, and as I spoke with Chicago locals, they informed me it was one of the more "ghetto" venues in town. That means there are even better, more impressive concert halls than the Congress spread over the Chicago area.  Either Chicago-nauts are spoiled, or I'm easily impressed.  Refused sold out this gorgeous, 4,000 person capacity theater.  In Vegas, we're lucky to have 300 people seeing Stephen Malkmus at the Beauty Bar.  There are no worthwhile, off-Strip venues left in Vegas.  The locals are screwed again.**

Being early paid off in dividends.  Dizzle and I strolled right up to the rail and planted ourselves there the rest of the show.  I kept waiting for something to go wrong.  Everything was falling into place so easily I felt as though the ceiling should have collapsed to cause some sort of disruption.

A short wait later, OFF! began forming on stage.  Keith Morris and company sauntered up as if they were their own roadies, taping down their own setlists, tuning their own guitars, placing their own water bottles down.  Then... EXPLOSION!!  OFF! is a band whose songs are often under a minute long, but boy, do they pack a punch!  They're like Black Flag on speed; each member an expert in rapid fire aggression, hammering out notes and words as a machine gun fires bullets.

Keith Morris has never really relished in the idea of being a godfather of punk rock, which makes him that much more respected and vital an institution.  Anytime I've seen him perform or get interviewed, he's always the smart-ass uncle that you laughingly shake your head at, but know is right about whatever he says.  Directly after the set, Keith Morris made his way to the rail up front and thanked all the sweaty fans across it's length.  All I could say was "Thank you" as we shook hands. A very gracious, stand up guy.

I'd like to take a moment to speak about how crazy hot it was in the Congress.  Even before OFF! started their set, beads of sweat were forming on my brow just from standing.  It being a sold-out performance, the crowd grew bigger and the humidity grew thicker minute by minute.   After OFF! finished, I was glistening as if I had been in a sauna for an hour, and that was only the warm-up for what was to come.

Earlier in the year I had made the trek to Coachella specifically to see Refused.  I didn't know if they were just doing that show as a one-off performance (technically two-off since Coachella spanned two identical weekends), so I made damn sure I was there to witness their return.  I've always told anyone when Refused was the topic of conversation that if they ever reunited, and Refused were only playing one show in Sweden (or whatever corner of the Earth that was lucky enough to host them), I would quit my job and get a loan to be at that show no matter what.  They are that important to me.  In my wildest fantasies I never though I would be lucky enough to catch Refused TWICE within a couple months!

Just as at Coachella, as the roadies were breaking down and setting up for the upcoming chaos, there was no music played between acts.  Instead there was an ambient, ever-increasing tone humming.  At Coachella I didn't even notice it until a few minutes before Refused took the stage, but I remember feeling this growing tension I couldn't define.  This attention to setting the mood was just one more reason to love Refused.  Dizzle and I looked around the room to see the faces of the thousands gathered, and we spotted nothing but giddy faces with smiles of gritting teeth, eagerly anticipating the ear orgasm they were waiting to hear for years.  Dizz and I were prepared and we were just as stoked!  I reverted back to my 8th grade self when I first discovered Refused.

A sheer black curtain unfurled in front of the stage, and steadily became backlit to reveal the word "REFUSED" as the ambient humming drew to a fever pitch; the crowd couldn't stop cheering and the band had't even played yet.  The house lights dropped and we could all see Dennis, David, Kristopher, Jon, and Magnus get into place through the curtain.  The humming suddenly stopped and a voice spoke over the soundsystem: "Worm of the Senses, Faculties of the Skull".  Then the curtain dropped, revealing Refused as they erupted to life, "I've got a bone to pick with capitalism, and a few to break!!!"

The next hour and a half was pure joy!  The sweat rained down and nobody seemed to notice, the band and audience were drenched.  Refused played hit after hit off of The Shape Of Punk To Come and threw in songs from Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent for good measure.  The only bummer for me was that they didn't play Circle Pit, but that is the most minor of complaints; it didn't affect how much I enjoyed the show in the slightest.  In fact, one of the huge highlights was when Dennis invited Keith Morris on stage and they sang some Black Flag songs together!  The joy on all the faces of Refused was contagious!  Check out the video below to see what I'm talking about:

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better show.  Well, maybe if my band, The Quitters had been able to open up the show, ha!  Dizzle and I were thoroughly exhausted and dripping sweat at the conclusion, the way any incredible concert should end.  I'm not sure how long this tour will last; I feel that every time I check Refused's website that there are more dates added.  But if you are within 1 MILLION miles of a show, make it a point to see Refused!  You won't be able to thank yourself enough. 

SS Coachella: Hot Chip's Ahoy!

Totally catching me off guard, earlier this week it was announced that in December there will be a Coachella Cruise.  The SS Coachella, if you're nasty.  Following in the footsteps of Weezer and 311, Coachella is embarking on an all-inclusive, hipster cruise experience.

The critic in me is very skeptical of this endeavor.  If it was thought that doing two weekends of Coachella proper was a cash grab, this has to be thought of in the same light.  The line-up is very small (of course; how could a traditional Coachella line-up fit on a ship along with the entire audience?) and not very diverse in tone; almost all groups are hip hop or electronic dance acts.  Nothing wrong with that, but Coachella always has had the reputation for an eclectic mix of all music genres (Old Crow Medicine Show, anyone?).  But the setting has a lot to do with that.

With SS Coachella, you're going more for the atmosphere than music.  It seems to me like it will just be background noise while you're getting drunk at the pool, not a real focal point.  The cruise will be a success because it has the name Coachella attached to it.  As much as I hate to admit it, Coachella is a brand name that seems to gain more power with each passing year.  Hell, I've definitely bought into it myself.  Seeing Refused and Rage Against the Machine have been highlights of my life, all thanks to Coachella.

But where is the line drawn between art and commerce?  Whenever art is monetized, it definitely loses it's appeal.  It doesn't mean the art is any less special, it just means that certain motivations have changed.  Is Coachella's main goal still to organize amazing acts, or is it now just a guise to make as much money as possible?  Should we expect a Coachella Safari next?  Where else can Goldenvoice take it, or a better question, where else should they take it?  Will they team up with Virgin Galatic and do a "Coachella In Space"?  Ok, I admit, that would be awesome.

Don't get me wrong, I do admire the tenacity of Coachella spreading it's wings past the Empire Polo Fields and trying something different.  I'm sure it will be an awesome time, but I can barely afford one Coachella a year, let alone a cruise.

What's your opinion of the SS Coachella?  Do you think it's awesome or should it go the way of the Titanic?

Bon Voyage!

When Is Enough Really Enough?

July 18th, 2012 was a very musically satisfying day for me.  In the evening I was lucky enough to catch the one-night-only theater viewing of the LCD Soundsystem documentary, "Shut Up And Play The Hits".  Then I caught the very first American television performance of Refused on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.


Though very different in sound, Refused and LCD Soundsystem are two bands that have an undeniable intensity and passion for music.  Their records are classics and each groups' live shows are mind-blowing.  I've been fortunate to see both acts live; LCD on their retirement tour, and Refused on their reunion tour.  Hearing James Murphy of LCD speak about ending his band in the documentary and watching Refused destroy the place on TV in the midst of their comeback tour, it really got me thinking about the lifelines of bands in general.  When is it time to call it a day?  When is it time to resurrect yourself?  Can this work for all bands or is there a fine line that not all artists can tread?  Let's ponder these questions, shall we?

Refused at Coachella 2012

I'll start with Refused.  This is a band that is near and dear to my heart; Refused are quite possibly my biggest musical influence.  They ended their run as a band in 1998 after they released the seminal album, "The Shape of Punk to Come".  The final show they performed before their split was a basement show in Harrisonburg, Virginia that was broken up by the police.  Tension had been growing in the band before that last tour.  Refused had put everything into making "The Shape of Punk to Come" and were disheartened by it's poor reception.  Ultimately, inner band turmoil and the feeling of being underappreciated for their efforts killed Refused.  They were tired, plain and simple.


The timing of when I started getting into Refused was maybe a month before their break-up.  I remember seeing the music video for "New Noise" on 120 Minutes and being blown away!  I had never seen anything like it, and then in the blink of an eye, Refused ended.  At the time I had no idea what the circumstances of their break-up was, but I was hooked.  I bought up every piece of music I could get my hands on; all the albums, EPs, demos...everything!!  I listened to it all on repeat and couldn't get enough.  It was such a bummer to realize I would never see Refused live.  They had such strong convictions and ideals that I never thought it would be possible for them to reform.  The sentiments from the band members' points of view are articulated very well in a documentary that guitarist Kristopher Steen made called "Refused Are Fucking Dead".  Definitely worth the watch.


Jump to the beginning of 2012.  Fake Coachella posters start making the rounds on the internet and Refused is included on many of the fictitious rosters.  The day comes for the real schedule to be released, and bold and centered is the name Refused!!  I couldn't believe it!  Never in my craziest dreams did I ever think they would reunite, but it was blasting in my face.  14 years later, Refused was back!

What changed to make this reunion a reality? My simple theory is this.  In their 14 year absence, Refused garnered an insane following of avid fans.  Being on Epitaph Records, they were included on a few Punk-O-Rama compilations after their split, slowly getting a younger audience to discover them.  And then there's the internet, that crazy thing.  A fervor made by people like me found it's way to the ears of Refused, and at a snail's pace, Dennis Lyxzen, David Sandstrom, Kristopher Steen, and Jon Brannstrom put their egos, ideals, and differences aside as they realized they had made an impact.  They may have had to swallow a healthy serving of pride, but their reunion shows have vindicated all the work Refused has done, bringing release to literally tens of thousands of hardcore hungry fans all over the world.

LCD Soundsystem's Final Show at Madison Square Garden

At the opposite end of the spectrum, we have LCD Soundsystem led by James Murphy, who ended the band's tenure in April of 2011 at the height of it's ever-increasing popularity.  And in such grand fashion:  a sold-out, 3.5 hour performance at Madison Square Garden interspersed throughout with special guests such as Arcade Fire and Reggie Watts.

The big question:  Why?!?!?  To get some sort of answer I would definitely recommend watching "Shut Up And Play The Hits".  The documentary cuts back and forth between Murphy being interviewed by Chuck Klosterman, live footage from LCD's final show, and following Murphy around the day after the show.  Klosterman is an expert interviewer and really tries to dig deep into James' reasoning and motivation to kill the band.

The root of what Chuck gets down to is James dealing with being self-conscious about how he'll be perceived with every decision concerning the band.  Murphy is so much in his own head that he's not even sure if ending LCD Soundsystem is the right course of action.  However, he doesn't want to be in his 50's repeating the cycle of album, tour, and interviews, feeling as if he's the "college guy going to high school parties".  Murphy's ideals that he's accrued throughout his music career are shaping how he wants his legacy to live on, but he's also aware that he really has no control over how he's remembered.

One band lives, the other band dies.  Have they made the right decisions?  Would Refused be better off if they had just stayed broken up?  What would it be like if LCD Soundsystem had kept making music?  These are questions that will never have an answer.  As people age, they change, and there's always a chance for redemption or failure. All I know for sure is that in music, nothing ever stays gone forever.  

Gig Machine 5000: John Coltrane

I plan this to be the first of a recurring type of post that I'll be calling "Gig Machine 5000".  The concept is this - Everyone who's a fan of music has said at least once in their life, "Man, I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and see blah,blah, blah".  We have all come across bands that we will never be able to see perform live caused either by a death or break up of a band.  With Gig Machine 5000, I will talk about such an artist or band and explain my own reasons for needing to jeopordize the space/time continuum by traveling to the past and seeing them.  Get it? Great.  So without further ado...

My first trip in the Gig Machine 5000 will bring me to John Coltrane, one of the biggest musical influences in my life.  First, let's start out by listening to some Coltrane, shall we?  This is On Green Dolphin Street.

When I was a freshman in high school and MTV still was interested in music, they had an ad campaign featuring seminal artists talking about their influences in little snippets.  I saw one particular commercial with Iggy Pop talking about John Coltrane.  At the time I had only a vague idea of who Coltrane was, but Iggy's description of his impact really peaked my interest.  Iggy talked about listening to Coltrane blaze on the sax and how frenetic and energetic his delivery was.  The ad then showed a classic early 70's clip of Iggy Pop performing live, twisting and writhing with reckless abandon, while a Coltrane song (the exact one used escapes me right now) played over the image.  Then the thing that captivated me the most was what Iggy said next, "Once I heard John Coltrane play the way he did, that was it for me.  From then on I tried to move my body around on stage the way that Coltrane played his sax."  Not an exact quote since I saw this ad over a decade ago, but that's the version I've manifested in my brain.  I was sold.  The next day I went and bought Coltrane's classic, My Favorite Things. 

I still get chills listening to this record.  At the time I was 2 years into playing the drum set and this was primarily in my school's jazz band.  In my drummer infancy, I played jazz music so straight and safe that when I watch home movies of myself playing from that era, I cringe.  After I put on My Favorite Things, my perception changed.  Coltrane's drummer, Elvin Jones, made it seem so easy to just throw in extra hits in random places and make them fit while maintaining the groove effortlessly.  Coltrane, himself, was all over the map in the best possible way, weaving these tapestries of sound from outer space.  He heard things differently and exploited that ability.

For the first time, I actually heard the swing in jazz and understood it.  My musical world was altered forever.  I began applying my new understanding of technique and took more risks.  I implemented these jazz elements into all styles of music I attempted and developed in to a more rounded musician.  John Coltrane is who I have to thank for that.


Here is a clip of the gig I would have loved to see.  It's a performance in Belgium in 1965, an outdoor show in apparently freezing weather.  The give away that it's so cold is that the players have steam rising from their bodies, their heat mixing with the weather makes for such a killer set.  Enjoy!

Who's an artist you would use the Gig Machine 5000 to see?

If You Really Looked...

I am in the thick of listening to the new album by the Dirty Projectors, Swing Lo Magellan.  In no way am I ready to post a review of this album, but I felt compelled to mention it because God Damn! it's good!  Get this record and hear for yourself.  Give me a little time and I'll have a review up in the near future.  Here's their lead single, Gun Has No Trigger to whet your palette.

Happy Birthday Jack White!!

Happy 37th birthday to the man, Jack White III!!

My first memory of Jack White was seeing the video for The White Stripes' "Fell In Love With A Girl".  All those Legos swirling red, white, and black all over the screen with that gritty guitar and Meg White's child-like drumming.  It was sensory overload and I was enamored.  My first live experience was at my first Coachella in 2003.  The White Stripes played the main stage and somehow made the Empire Polo Fields feel like a 200 person capacity bar crammed with 50,000 audience members.  I got to see them once again, after the tremendous Elephant came out, in my home town of Las Vegas.  Jack walked on the stage, bit into a bright, red apple, tossed it into the voracious crowd, and hammered out "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground".  His showmanship was beyond compare and still is.  

Since then, Jack White has been in a number of crazy, successful bands (Raconteurs, Dead Weather), opened up his own label, Third Man Records, collaborated with artists ranging from Beck to Insane Clown Posse, and become a household name.  He's a musician's musician with mainstream appeal, a tight-rope walk that barely anyone can pull off.

Jack does music for the right reason: because he has to!!  It's his life.  It's not blood that flows through his veins, but pure musical talent.  I can't think of another performer besides maybe Prince or Beck that can pick up any instrument and play it like a master.  I just want to be his friend one day and pick his brain, ha!!

In Jack White's honor, here's a song by Son House called "Grinnin' In Your Face".  Jack has referenced this song in many interviews as his all time favorite tune.  So here's to you, Jack White!!  Many more birthdays and incredible music to come, I'm sure.

Music Is My Medicine

**I recently started another blog http://shakabukukick.blogspot.com/ that deals more with writing and expression.  In doing so, I've rediscovered this blog and saw I recently passed 1000 views.  A drop in the bucket in internet terms, but I haven't written anything on here in a year and a half.  So I figured, what the hell?  Why not start this Another Blog About Music, etc. back up?  Here we go** 

Al Green once sang "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?"  It's an age old question that doesn't have one answer.  It's different for everybody how recovery is reached.  Recently my heart was ground to dust, and I've found that the best medicine has been music.  Here's a song below that has been a real comfort to me during this time.  It's "Guess I'm Doing Fine" by Beck.

Listening to this song, one may ask: "How does that make anybody feel better?"
I can see that point of view.  The lyrics are just heart-breaking and full of longing.  Beck's perspective in the chorus is him having a conversation with his ex after she asks him how he's doing since the break-up: "It's only lies that I'm livin'/ It's only tears that I'm cryin'/ It's only you that I'm losin'/ Guess I'm doin' fine".  It's enough to leave anybody in a crumpled pile instead of lifting their spirits.

The reason this has been a comfort to me and hasn't made me feel worse is that I have an ally to the feelings I'm going through right now.  Thank the universe that someone else knows what I'm going through!  I'm not alone.  An artist I've respected for years has experienced the exact same thing and articulated perfectly these devastating emotions in his song.

As an expressionist, Beck found catharsis by using these sorrows as art instead of letting them manifest inside himself.  Letting out what he was feeling and being honest allowed him to separate the experience from himself; made it easier for the weight to lift.  Beck became the owner of his heartache, not the slave of it anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we all know, a break-up conjures up more than just heartache.  That is just one sensation out of what feels like billions of emotions stirred up in one's chest.  I found myself being the only one invested in the relationship in the last couple weeks, and it brought up this feeling of rejection and worthlessness.  I had bought Jack White's latest, Blunderbuss, Before things started going south for me, and didn't really listen to the lyrics of it at first.  The way I take in new music upon first listens is that I find myself listening to the instrumentation of a song first, then the words.  After the break-up I found myself ensconced in Jack White's lyrical output.  The song below, "Freedom at 21", I swear was written specifically for me.

That feeling of being willingly walked on to try and salvage a relationship that you want to continue when your partner is already in another head space:  Goddamn!!  I really heard "Freedom at 21" for the first time after my relationship's demise, then continued to replay the tune a million times in a row.

Everyone knows that music you listen to during and after a traumatic experience, whether it be a break-up, the death of a loved one, a car accident... it speaks to you in a completely different way and you are bonded to it.  They could be songs you've listened to for years, but that event sets off this chemical reaction that links you to it in a brand new way.  It may not always be pleasant; you may want to throw your stereo out of the window if a song comes on that reminds you of that memory (see you in the garbage, fun.).  But others are now your baby blanket, the comfort that you needed at the time.

What are some songs that have helped you through tough times?

I'll leave you with a classic, angry, break-up song, "Song for the Dumped" by Ben Folds Five.

Black Eyed Peas Halftime Show Super Blows

Why is it that the country that invented rock and roll can't have a good halftime show during the Super Bowl, the most watched American program every year?  The last time I remember enjoying one was when Michael Jackson performed 18 years ago, and even he lip-synched.  Here's the video of the 1993 performance to serve as a palette cleanser for this year's halftime atrocity: 

It is of my personal opinion that the Black Eyed Peas are the worst ilk to ever be associated with music.  There is nothing original about what they do.  They have the absolute WORST lyrics and stand for nothing.  There is no message to what they do.  Some may argue this point and say that BEP stand for love;  to that I rebut and say, what pop act doesn't say that?  Half the time they don't even have original hooks to their songs; they sampled Dick Dale and the Dirty Dancing theme during the halftime show.  They auto-tuned, hid what sounded like a live band at times, and mostly just stood, the four of them in a row, on the stage.  What happened to integrity and entertainment?

Black Eyed Peas worship money and fame.  They sell out their own ideals so they can compete in the politically correct music industry of this age.  Does anybody still remember that "Let's Get It Started" was originally "Let's Get Retarded"?  That is original and pushes buttons, the exact thing that music is supposed to do.  Instead they played it safe so they won't offend the dwellers of the red states who don't know the definition of context, and raped the benefits.  And yes, I meant raped, not reaped. 

And what's with Slash being there?  Not only does he have nothing to do with the Black Eyed Peas, but he wasn't even supporting one of their songs.  Slash was playing that same old, tired, 25-year-old "Sweet Child of Mine" riff for Fergie to butcher all over again.  I hate to say it, but I would have rather seen Axl Rose's self-martyring ass singing, and I HATE GUNS AND ROSES!!  Once again, money and fame overthrew integrity.

Why does the NFL try so hard not to offend anyone?  That attitude doesn't represent what goes on in the game whatsoever.  During any given game, a mic will be in the wrong place at the wrong time and we'll here the players, coaches, anyone on the sidelines, make crude or vulgar remarks.  Linemen, defense or offense, have the mindset to murder the opposing players to win.  Do the Black Eyed Peas seem to mesh with that kind of a culture?  HELL NO!!

This dance-y, tapioca, vanilla obscenity that was the BEP halftime show was marketed as the cure for the geriatric performances that have been the norm of the last few years.  We had The Who, Springsteen, and Rolling Stones all perform; these are iconic artists.  Sure, maybe they are past their prime, but I think they delivered much more solid shows. 

And another point: does this mean we're supposed to regard BEP as such iconic stars now?  Am I out of the loop here?  Are people really going to be playing a Black Eyed Peas song in 30 years and think, "Wow, they were so great!  This group changed my life!"?  I would venture to guess no.  The truth is that there will always be another BEP.  They will not go down being on the winning side of musical history.  A mad scientist music producer is in a studio right now with a younger, hipper, better version of BEP as I type this, shouting "It's alive!!"  This halftime show will be the peak of the Black Eyed Peas career.

So where do I get off as being so high and mighty?  I'm obsessed with music.  It is in my blood.  Other people can rattle off sports statistics and curate museums; I can tell you what year, what producer, what line-up changes occurred, all of this trivial knowledge about hundreds off bands.  Maybe it's useless to know, but it's all in how you use it.  And what I gather from my generation's pop group habits, is that very few survive.  How are the solo careers of anyone from Backstreet Boys, New Kids On The Block, or Spice Girls doing?  The only success story from this era is Justin Timberlake, and he hasn't made a new record in 5 years, focusing more on an impressive acting career.

Pop groups only exist for short amounts of time.  They survive because there are millions that don't know there is real music out there.  Once the next 4 chord generator makes their presence known, it is a nail in the coffin to the previous incarnation.  So count your money, Will.i.am, Fergie, and those two other guys; you're retirement, probably unwanted, will be coming soon.  Thank the universe for that!

Say It Ain't So!!: The White Stripes Have Broken Up

You read correctly.  The seminal rock duo from Detroit, The White Stripes, have officially broken up.  Jack and Meg White released a statement on their website here.  Unfortunately, it is true.

It is of my opinion that Jack White is the most prolific musician of this generation.  Anything that this man has touched has turned to ROCK!!  Whether it be fronting The White Stripes on vocals and guitar, taking a step back as a supporting member of The Raconteurs,  drumming duties in The Dead Weather, or producing the likes of classic artists such as Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson.  Mr. White has an old-school approach to creating music;  always analog, if possible, rejecting the digital takeover of recording that has encapsulated almost the entire music industry.  He founded Third Man Records based out of Nashville, TN in that regard, on the basis that less is more (and in Jack White's case, he is an artist of the highest caliber in that department).  Jack has the utmost appreciation of music as a historical contribution to humanity, and does everything he can to preserve, respect, and add to it's legacy. 

Here's an excerpt of an interview with The White Stripes on The Charlie Rose Show, my personal favorite interview I've seen of Jack and Meg.  Around 1:56 in the video Jack gets down to what they are trying to accomplish with their style:

Here is another excerpt from the same interview pertaining to why The White Stripes were created.  At about :30 into the video is what I believe every great musician tries to do:

From my experience as a performer, I know exactly what Jack White is talking about.  When a musician is in love with music that strikes a chord in them, the goal is to try and get others whom are unaware of said music, to pay attention.  Jack talks about "tricking" people into listening to the blues by putting his own spin on it with The White Stripes, hoping that the audience will dig for the hidden treasures of a time that has passed by exploring the influential artists in White's life by proxy, thus, preserving these historic performers and their legacy.

In my personal musical endeavors, I always admit that I'm trying to "rip off" the bands and musicians that have had similar impacts in my life.  I believe that you can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been.  Most musicians I know strive to be as good as the artists that inspired them to pick up their instruments in the first place.  If I can create a drum beat that alludes to Josh Freese, Jon Theodore, Elvin Jones, or Brooks Wackerman, and I'm approached by someone after a show that notices what I'm trying to do, it makes me smile; I'm fooling the audience into appreciating other artists by imitating them.

Though I'm sad that there will probably be no more new White Stripes records, I can't stay glum for long.  As you read this post, Jack White is most likely in his laboratory creating 10 more projects that will all blow the minds of the lucky who will be exposed to them.  And I can't be too surprised that this break-up has happened considering The White Stripes have been on hiatus for over 3 years now, but I don't want to take away from the significance of this event with my hipster proclivity to not being surprised. 

The White Stripes is where it all started for Jack White.  He'll be making music until his hands fall off, and even then I'm sure he'd find a way to make some killer tunes.  Bon Voyage, White Stripes;  you'll be dearly missed!!