Rethinking The Musical Stage: Amon Tobin

I've reported to you my recent education of the modern electronic recording artist. This old dog can indeed pull his head from his ass if given the time and inclination to do so. Therefore, I found myself exploring new artists and came across a recommendation of Amon Tobin. Needless, to say I was stunned when I saw the brilliance not only in his music but the amalgam of talent they've assembled to rethink the physical stage for the artist.

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Your Music & Waterboarding

What were you in high school, a band geek, a stoner, a jock, and metal-head-art-fag (here's me) or where you simply part of the fabric? Unseen, unheard and begging to get on with your life. I'm not going to go on elongated tirade about about how much I think music sucks these days, as I find myself hearing the band I grew up with on the "classic" stations but I'll say this – it's nice to get kicked in the stomach from time-to-time.

What does that mean? Well most of the new music these days 'takes some listening to.' What the hell does that even mean? "Well, you'll liked it after a I listen to the CD two or three times." Oh my god. Is this what we've become? Dan Zarrella calls them "sheeple" and I have to concur. When did we bow down and become fed from a tube? Why must we torture ourselves to conform in parties? Are we only listening to what we think is safe or has the most views on YouTube? Where's the angst? Where's the anti-establishment? Where's the shakeup? Where's the band that kicks you in the teeth the moment you hear it and you say "hell yeah!"

I give you:
The Bronx – "Inveigh"

Yes, I know the song's three years old, and that I'm old, get over it. Send me some new music! Send me some new links. Show me the music that made you wake up. Keep me young and angry and thinking! I don't want to be in the box. Give me your band to promote and I promise I will spike your traffic by four or five people. Talk to your hosting service to insure that I will not bring down their infrastructure with this wave. Best ~

Addendum:

My friend Sean "8-bit" Smith just brought some points in the comments below that make me think. I guess it's never been about anger in the sense of hatred or malice, though that music exists too, as a father and humanist I don't agree with that sensibility. It is about "change" pure and simple.

The Wolfpack

So before I'm off to see one of my favorite bands The Black Keys I reflect on 'The Wolfpack' toast. Cheers.

Divorced Bands & Their Maddened Mistress

Unfortunately like any dysfunctional family, bands come and they go. I cannot actually imagine how four or five highly-creative people stay together for any length of time, but in that, I guess that's what's important – the magic made with the time we have. I'm sure we all have our list, so what's yours?

This list exponentially grows when you start adding the fallen to it – Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jon Bonham and Bon Scott. So much great music, such little time.

"Google Audio" Is Plugging In This Wednesday

It's not like I didn't see it before but it seems that Microsoft isn't the only one using Apple as their R&D department. Google seems to be on their own "embrace and extend" model to scoop up the small firms that have reasonably good thinking and see how they can all fit together. I'm not sure however that this is the best idea for Google. I'd think silent partner would be a better return, but then they wouldn't get their pretty logo on it.

They web as we know it, this week, is breaking into more and more of a finite medium. People seek out a specific interests, and then within that a sub-interest and within that they usually plant a seed as the expert deep within that chosen niche. Smart web offerings aren't coming in as the 'all for one' model anymore because frankly, companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple simply have too much fiscal control.

Back Google Audio, it seems a little strange to me that Google would enter this extremely over saturated market but who am I to say what a multi-billion dollar conglomerate should do – I mean they never call ; ) But Google

"Google will announce a new playable-music search service next Wednesday, creating a special box in search results with links to songs to stream and download, multiple sources familiar with the situation told Wired.com. The service — likely called Google Audio — will be powered in part with streaming music from LaLa and recommendations from iLike, the sources said."

Death By Cyclical Music Resurrection

And the first seal broke and they said BEHOLD, and from that spat forth hair bands and all that is glam metal. Look, I'll be the first person to admit to owning, listening and even enjoying [some] hair bands from the 80's. I even worked for Crimson Glory, though I'd try convince myself that the were not exclusive to the genre. The larger question for me still lies in why can these things keep coming back like a bad STD.

Admittedly, there were a great many reasons why you would be consumed by the menace:

• You hated everything in mainstream music at the time
• Typically each band had one incredibly talented guitarist or drummer
• You wanted to try to get laid by 'dirty' rocker chicks (face the truth losers)
• You're parent where hippies and this was as anti-establishment as it got in the 80's
• You could where bananas on your leg and not get shot for being a color in a gang
• If you grew your hair long you could do the 'flip thing'
• Jean jackets were simply cool

Now, don't get in my face and tell me I didn't know or understand the time. My 'uniform' was jeans, chuck tailors and a Metallica t-shirt – I had one for every day in a month, no lie! So I damn near choked on my morning coffee when iTunes served up in the "Rock" section a band called "Steel Panther." I thought it was a joke, no really. THANK GOD IT WAS! I've only listened to one thirty second snippet to know that I you can never go back. All I could see was Will Ferrell in Starsky and Hutch asking for the Angry Dragon when I saw the band photo. I GET IT! Reach out to a new generation Justice, some people really liked that niche genre of music Justice. No, it's for making fun of and listening to (while in the car with the windows rolled up) at a volume that you won't get caught.

Think back everyone what do you keep in the darkest recesses of your past? Dungeons & Dragons? Modonna lookalike outfit maybe a Michael Jackson jacket? With that said there are some things that should remain in the Arc of the Musical Covenant. Or you're more than likely going to end up like the Nazi at the end of Raiders. Good riddance.