As I recently stated on Facebook, I’m a sucker for the snappy “synthpop” music genre. I get teased about it on a regular basis, mainly because ”it’s SO gay”. The Pet Shop Boys, Michael and Janet Jackson, many bands from the 80’s and 90’s. I’m also a fan of the alternative music scene (bands like Ben Folds Five, REM, U2 etc.). The video below is from Owl City and I found this on another blog that I read. His music is snappy, heavily processed, crisp, and very clean. His melodies are common but very repeatable and memorable, and the texture he uses on the synthesizers is complex and enjoyable. There are a couple songs off his newest album that I really like, the one below called “Fire Flies” is one of them. Now, before you accuse me of going Beverly Hills 90210 on you, this is the kind of music you’d hear on those teen soap operas that were popular years ago, but how wrong is it to enjoy listening to someone that doesn’t swear in his lyrics and whose messages are not all downers? Too much of the music out there today by pop artists are constantly bitching about the complexities and painfulness of life. They are right, sometimes life is a bitch and shit happens but it isn’t like that every day you know. Sometimes it’s just nice to listen to an upbeat song about nothing in particular. This is one of those songs.
Another find from one of the many blogs that I read. I’m generally a pretty big fan of close harmony and tight, accurate, and precise pitch when it comes to vocalists. While I’m not a huge fan of some of their songs (all of which are covers from other groups), these kids have it going on with their vocals. You can check out their YouTube page for more songs.
Even as a choir boy from a rival group, I was able to hear this boychoir perform a few times and they were indeed a well trained choir. They had a distinct sound and an enthusiastic following. It always saddens me when a well known group folds and stops doing what they do. Their fate resulted from many things but their decline began because of a sexual abuse accusation that unfortunately took away the remaining financial resources of the choir. The same things have rocked the American Boychoir School in the past but they have managed to survive intact. I’m not going to lay out judgement because shit happens, even to people and organizations with the best of intentions. I know that. I’ve lived it. Their music will be missed.
I found this little bit of OH MY GOD on the web tonight. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, my wonderful school Orchestra teachers, do not allow your students to massacre music they are not yet ready to play. Introduce them to it, but for the sake of your listening audience (even if they are supportive parents), give them music they can be successful interpreting. The best of intentions you might have about challenging your students can be lost entirely on students who have not yet mastered their basic embrasure techniques. Listen if you dare.
In what was a highly anticipated concert event for me, tonight I went to see the Indigo Girls in concert at Interlochen. They did not disappoint. I’ve followed this band since their inception nearly 20 years ago and I’m certainly a die hard fan, I know all the lyrics to all their songs, I own all their CD’s and I even have a number of bootleg recordings from their live shows that I’ve collected over the years. The one thing I had never done however was go to see them in concert. Every time they were on tour, I was either working or doing something else or I simply could not afford the tickets. This time, the time was right and the venue was perfect. It was a beautiful day but extremely hot and honestly, I was outnumbered easily 3 to 1 by lesbians but I expected that. This is a band that entirely represents womyn and everything that particular spelling represents. Anyhow, I won’t go into their politics here, that is indeed a topic for another post.
They played quite a long set. They managed to work through their entire new album consisting of 10 new songs and they also got in nearly all the standards. Power of Two, Kid Fears, Galileo, Ghost, Last Tears, and several songs from their Nomads, Saints, and Indians album. Whether it’s a good thing or not, I was able to sing along with every song, even the new songs. I think Mom, Dad, Nancy, and Joan had a decent time as well. Mom was excited to hear a couple of the songs that Sarah had performed, in all it was a great night out and a great concert.
One of the great benefits of a band that is fiercely independent (they have their own label, do their own tours, and their own marketing) is that they get to make the rules. Despite printed warnings from Interlochen about the use of cameras and video during the concert, the Indigo Girls really don’t give a dam especially now that they are an independent label. You can actually go to their official web site and barter for bootlegs of their concerts. Anyhow, I managed to get one good picture of them performing Power of Two which is one of my favorite songs. I’ve posted the picture below as well as the song for you to enjoy.
Tomorrow it’s back to work. I now have to work straight through until next Tuesday. Work is getting long right now. I don’t hate going in to work, but lord I wish time moved faster. I’m coming up on a vacation too so that just makes things drag. Hopefully I’ll get back to posting more on this blog soon. Working 50 hours a week makes me really tired and I just don’t have the motivation to write when I can barely keep my eyes open. Oh well, this has been a good and productive summer so far, hopefully I can keep up the trend.
Well this has been a shitty day. It’s been cloudy all day with rain on and off and it’s freakin 50 degrees! This is June, it should be in the 70’s AT LEAST! Frustrating both emotionally and professionally. I’m home early today because it was REALLY slow at work. Normally I work a 12 hour day, well, I’m just too expensive for the payroll right now so my team members are closing tonight. It’s nice that I get the night off but big picture folks, if we don’t start picking up here, the gains I’ve made this year on sales will start coming to an end…that translates into fewer hours for my team members and a smaller bonus for me, neither of which I want. Gas prices are now up near $3.00 a gallon again, still nowhere near where they were last summer at close to $5. Thank God for that but it still sucks because people are just not leaving their homes and shopping. We are doing a lot better than a lot of our competition but that’s not saying much. This market is saturated with stores like mine, if people don’t have to drive they are going to the closest store even if what they are buying costs them a little more. Shitty.
I was watching some video last night and came across this pretty awesome choir video. The singing isn’t the best in the world but the way they present the song is pretty dam cool. This was a big pop song when I was about 14 or so. Now it’s classic rock…haha. Check it out.
Never judge a book by it’s cover. Yes, that’s already been said about Susan Boyle, one of the least attractive 47 year old’s I’ve seen in recent days WITH one of the most incredible voices I’ve heard in years! For those of you who have not had the privilege yet, there is a link below and an embedded video. Click the link first and go to YouTube to get the back story and see her audition on Britain’s Got Talent. The embedded clip is from a 1999 charity CD release of unsigned artists that she did. Both are fabulous.
I’m typically not a fan of these types of variety shows. The fates and dreams of thousands of people who try out for a chance a the big time tend to lay (falsely) in the hands of 3 mega judges with agenda’s and a typically naive audience voting population. Sometimes however the right people do indeed get the exposure they deserve. This show may well be Susan’s big break and you can bet that her life will never be the same again after this audition. Whether she goes on to to win the competition or not is no longer relevant. She will now have enough recognition to land a recording contract and she will be able to retire doing what she spent her entire life attempting to do. Ride the Wave.
By leelanau2010 ( March 27, 2009 at 8:48 pm) · Filed under Music
I’ve been writing about music a bit lately on this blog. I mentioned before there is a new Pet Shop Boys CD due out in the USA on April 21. Just for you however, I’m bringing you exclusive content provided to you free of charge. Click the song title below to listen to the full tracks streamed to you from Europe (where the CD has already been released). These guys are planning a US tour this summer. The chances of them coming anywhere in Michigan are remote but I’ll have to keep my eyes out and perhaps try to see them. PSB rarely tours especially in the US so this one is a big deal. Tickets I’m quite sure will be expensive and very hard to come by. This is another band I’ve followed now for the better part of 20 years. God I’m getting old.
