Monday, June 14, 2004

Political Music and Livin' In The 80's    I know that usually political music kinda sucks. The lefty stuff is too preachy and the righty stuff is too stupid. I just don't know that singing about nothing is the right answer these days when the world's on the brink of disaster. In the late 60's lots of people released topical or at least generally topical songs. Now there's few people doing so. Perhaps it doesn't help much that the radio stations are owned by pro-Bush fanatics of course...but that makes change all the more necessary does it not? I have no answers but at least I have some serious questions...    Sometimes you get a record that seems like everyone should own...Last week I finally got a copy of The Desperate Bicycles' Remorse Code LP! Here's a band who many consider the first DIY band and they had it all...They did more that just put out their own records...They had great songs...catchy hooks ...intriguing lyrics...an AMAZING sound...    Music used to be so ALIVE! It seemed like anything was possible and that things could change...I guess it shouldn't bother me but it seems like all the most exciting music now is music that tries to sound like the past. I don't think Josef K were really trying to sound like anyone else...but the most hyped group of today, Franz Ferdinand, clearly wants to sound like Josef K/Scars/Fire Engines/etc...and who can BLAME THEM!??! I just don't know why music stopped being new and individual. When you hear the Shins it just makes you wonder why there can't be many other groups who are blazing their own trails and are not trying to be anything but just ARE...In the 80's there were a whole lot of groups who JUST WERE. They had influences of course but it wasn't so contrived and planned out.    I'm not trying to put down Franz Ferdinand; they're pretty cool and all from the songs I've heard...I just feel like the music actually from the early 80's is so good that it seems sad that bands who want to be from then are all hyped up but no one has ever heard of Disturbed Furniture or Those Helicopters...I'm losing focus now...sorry...more later! 9:50:36 PM    comment []

Remember Musical Chairs?...Me Neither...    Perhaps a couple of people might have wondered what ever happened to Connecticut indie pop (or indiepop) group Musical Chairs. I can say emphatically that there's a website here...I can't say it's been updated much of late but hopefully things are going to change soon...I'm following in the footsteps of Salinger and Shields I guess... 9:27:25 PM    comment []