Interview excerpt: Steve

Steve: ...I mean I always consider MGMT like party music, it's kinda like dance-pop, you know...

John: ...right, right, right...

Steve: ...pretty accessible to the masses

John: ...right, right.  What do you, a, how do you, how do you feel about, a, the fact that MGMT has blown up, you know, recently, and maybe it's appealing more to the in crowd than it was when it originated?

S: Um, I mean it happens, you know?  It's, I feel like, there are certain bands that are, have a tendency to blow up just because their music, like I said, is more accessible, and they have that pop sound to them.

J: All right, all right, um, do you think the fact that MGMT signed to Columbia, a major record label, and Yeasayer signed to a very small record label called WeAreFree, they're one of three bands on this label, do you think the fact that MGMT is on Columbia makes it easier for them to get bigger?

S: I mean it definitely makes it easier for them to get bigger, but more so, I feel like the larger influence is Columbia, um, pressuring them to kind of change their sound so that it is more appealing.  Whereas I feel like when you're on a smaller label you don't really have those pressures, so you're, kind of like able to do more with your music, I feel like whereas MGMT, I feel like their music and their sound is kind of like set now.

J: Right, right.  So I mean...

S: On their most recent album, I guess it's their only album.

J: Right, right...

S: It's the only album I've ever heard from them.

J: It's a, that's what I was thinking, it would be interesting to see what their next a, next album sounds like...

S: Yeah.

J: ...if a, I feel like major labels might put producers in there, is that what you're saying?

S: Yeah, definitely producers, who a, I mean whose soul job is to produce music to make money, you know?

J: Right, right, right, sell to the masses.

S: Yeah, so, I don't know, I feel like Yeasayer, Yeasayer definitely, for me, is like the cliche indie band, so there's like, there's tracks on there that maybe a large amount of people would be able to listen to and enjoy, but for the most part it's kind of like a whole piece, you have to listen to the whole album cause the ups and the downs, whereas MGMT I feel like every track on there could be a single almost.

S: Well it's tough, it's tough to sell an album when you don't have like, a single off of it, you know?

J: Right.  Or a single that gets airplay?

S: A single that gets airplay, yeah.  So, I can't really listen to the Yeasayer album and pick one song that's just like, oh this one, I could play this on the radio, because you need to listen to the whole album, and get a feel for it, you know?

J: Right, right.

S: Cause one song evolves into the next, whereas with the MGMT it's just like, oh, this song's, this song could definitely be on the, oh yep, this one's, this one's real good too, oh, this one's really dancy.  And there's like three or four that just, now we're hearing them all the time.

J: ...a company run by two people, like yeah they can get it out on the internet, but as far as airplay and stuff, and like getting the name out there more, it's like, if you have like a big, you know, representative, you know, I mean...

S: No, I definitely felt that way, like there's a lot of, indie bands, I say indie with quotes, that a, you hear songs from, and you're like, oh, wow, this could totally be on the radio, like how could people not love this song, you know like this would appeal to a ton of people...

J: Like stuff from Liars, and like...

S: Yeah, even some Animal Collective, you're like, like their most recent album, it's like, everyone should like this song [laughs], it's a really good beat, it's like, but a, because it, maybe because they're on an indie label they don't have the promotions, so they don't, um, yeah, they don't make it on the airtime, you know?  It's hard to say though, because we're not in the world of music...

(Audio of the whole interview to come, as soon as I work out the kinks with audacity on my computer)

Back's "New Ethnicities and Urban Culture," Part 2, Critical Review

In the second part of Chapter 8 in "New Ethnicities and Urban Culture," Back explores the different amounts of inter-racial happenings that occur in the black musical scene in the UK, the development of a south Asian music culture, and the recent dance-hall culture of the 90's. As boundaries were breached by certain posses and sound systems, such as Soul II Soul, the separation between reggae and soul in the 70's became harder and harder to distinguish.  Social mixing was primarily seen in soul music spaces, but with the breakdown of the separation between soul and reggae, races, as well as different classes and genders, began mixing and intermingling more throughout genres.  MC Apache Indian helped to increase this mixing of too.  After the emergence of bhangra music in Britain, a distinct British Asian culture developed, and Apache Indian helped to spread this music (well, his music was described as bhangramuffin) throughout races, as he was able to play to crowds of blacks, whites, and Asians.  In the 90's, a new fusion of reggae/hip hop/ragga began to emerge, jungle.  Jungle helped to even further bring together different people.  DJ Kenny Ken puts it perfectly when he says, "certain men a few years ago wouldn't have dreamed of talking to a white person and the same the other way around... but now we're under the same roof ravin', laughing and joking together..." (p. 234)  With the development of newer variations on the reggae sound system music, and the breaking down of boundaries between genres, different people more easily and more readily mixed.  The music had the great ability to overshadow wider distinctions such as race, class and gender.

Question:  Reggae had the ability to break class and race barriers in Britain, do you think that Hip-Hop did the same in the U.S.?

Back's "New Ethnicities and Urban Culture," Part 1, Critical Review

In Chapter 8 of "New Ethnicities and Urban Culture," Back discusses the development of black leisure spaces, such as dance-halls, in post-war Britain and the subsequent restructuring of black working-class life.  He identifies the importance of dance-halls, and the sound systems in them, during periods of political strife, as the sound systems "become both a source of alternative news and an arena for black unity and autonomy." (p. 199-200)  The dance-halls are also important, according to Back, because they "provide a microcosm, controlled by black people, in which young black men and women work through in symbolic form the variety of their experiences, conflicts and desires." (p. 202)  The development of dance-halls in the UK was very important for the working-class blacks because it helped give them a place where racism was non-existent, where black was the host, and where history could be rewritten.

Question: Like how the dance-hall music of the UK began, were there any other types of music that started out by simply creating leisure spaces where people didn't have to worry about the struggles of day-to-day life?

Walser's "Running With the Devil" Critical Review

In "Running With the Devil," Walser takes a look at metal music in a way that other scholars have rarely done.  He starts his chapter with a look at the history of heavy metal music, with its roots in such bands as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple.  Walser also identifies when and where the term metal or heavy metal was first used, citing old dictionary definitions of the term, the Steppenwolf song, Born to be Wild, and then a William S. Burroughs book.  What Walser does that other scholars don't do is talk about the music itself, identifying such things as the power chord and the bass heavy and melodic sounds as defining characteristics of heavy metal as a genre.  In writing this chapter in his book, Walser wants readers to "examine [academic's and critic's] views critically in order to clear space for a different sort of account of heavy metal." (25) If their views are looked at this way, maybe some of the stereotypes that have been developed will be overlooked and a more widespread, true appreciation for the virtuosic playing will blossom.

Discussion question:  Do you think it's okay to label bands like Poison and Black Sabbath under the same genre of heavy metal, or should there be a definite distinction?

Schloss's "B-boy Culture" Critical Review

Schloss opens up his B-boy culture article by giving the reader a little background to the activity. He lets us know the roots of B-boying, saying that the dance developed in New York City in the early 1970s, and that it's musical roots are based in rock and funk songs.  He also defines how battles take place in areas such as gymnasiums, clubs, or when it's nice out, basketball courts; anything that has a flat ground.  Battles also have a pretty normal competition layout, with a pre-determined number of rounds, where one competitor is eliminated each round, and eventually a winner is declared.

After giving some history to B-boying, Schloss discussed the canon of it, and the high importance of the canon.  B-boying's canon consists of old school songs such as "Apache," "Just Begun,"and "The Mexican," all songs that to what Schloss discovered, almost every B-boy and B-girl knows. The canon serves as important gateway between the past and the present.  It keeps people in touch with the roots of the activity, and by following these songs, and knowing them by heart, it gives a great deal of respect for the originators of the activity.  Since these are songs that are often played a great deal, knowing them is in every B-boy and B-girl's best interest because when they come on, it can be the perfect time to show off your best moves. This canon also serves as a bridge between the DJ and the breakers.  By having these songs in their repertoire, DJs can bust them out, and let people start breaking, and from this they can gain more respect in the B-boy world.  The canon also serves to create a sense of community. Since virtual all B-boys know, or should know the canon, it's something that everyone who participates in the culture shares.  This shared sense of what the best songs to break to creates the community of B-boying.  The canon brings the B-boy culture together and enables it to live on throughout the decades after its creation.

Question: If it weren't for the B-boy canon, would there still be able to be the shared sense of a community between the culture's participants?

Revived by revivalists: Black Lips in Boston

Sitting with friends in Harvard/Central Square on a nice night, sipping on a strong rum and coke out of a pop cup is a great way to spend a Saturday, until it starts raining.  It came as a few drops at first, but then started coming down pretty steadily.  So what turned out to be a nice little chat to kill some time before the show was going to begin turned into a huddle session in the entrance of a pizza joint.  From my past experience with shows in Boston, the crowds haven't been the best ones I've been a part of, so I was hoping it wouldn't turn out to be that way again.  There was only one way to find out.  We finished up our drinks, and with a nice buzz and an excited attitude, walked into the Middle East for the show.

After having our real ids scrutinized by the door girls (like I would lie about being 20) we stepped into the rather empty downstairs room.  Even though the room looked pretty empty, it was still early, and I heard some people talking about how the show had sold out, so there was certain to be a large crowd.  My friends and I took the opportunity to make our ways to the front of the stage and stake out our spots for when the Black Lips came on.  The front row was already taken up by what seemed to be diehard fans, each one with their cameras in hand, ready for a surprise appearance of a band member before their set.  At one point, the Black Lips bass player, Jared Swilley, walked across the room, trying to make his way towards backstage, and the two diehard fans in front of me proved how much they like the band as they both literally ran over to him to get a picture.  It opened up two spots in the front row, but we were pretty content with there we were standing.  They came back, took their spots, and I said to one of them, "that's awesome, getting a picture with Jared.  I wish I had a camera with me."  He kind of nonchalantly replied, "yeah, I always bring my camera with me."  We started talking about their new album, which had just come out eleven days earlier on February 24, 2009, and we both agreed that after listening to it a couple of times, we really liked it.  Our conversation was cut short though, as the first opening band took the stage.

They introduced themselves as Mean Creek from the Boston area, and broke into a folk-inspired rock sound that started to warm the crowd up, and even got a few people dancing.  They played about a thirty-minute set and then left the stage after getting their equipment together.  They show was off to a good start and my friends and I agreed that they were one of the better opening bands that we had seen.  I glanced behind me now, to the faces of a much bigger crowd than what was behind me before Mean Creek started playing.  The crowd appeared to mostly be in their mid-twenties, and it was nice mix of men and women.  A lot of people looked like they were college students out for a night of run, but there was also a good amount of people who looked like they were out of college.  Everyone seemed to be dressed pretty normally.  That is, there weren't any noticeable punks, goths, or other easily identifiable group, but there were quite a few hipsters interspersed throughout the room (but nowadays, where isn't there).  More and more people were coming in, the bars and floor were getting more tightly packed, and it was all just in time for the next opening band, Gentleman Jesse and His Men.

I had checked out Gentleman Jesse a little bit before the show to see if I liked what I heard, which I did, and they were even better live.  They're from Atlanta, the same place as the Black Lips, and they came with an energy that really started people moving.  Their bluesy punk style seemed to have roots in early punksters like Gene Vincent or Eddie Cochran, and once again, it was one of the better opening bands that my friends and I had encountered.  After about what I would say was close to an hour-long set, they announced that the next song was going to be their last one, and they broke into a fast paced tune that turned the front row area into a pit like area, but not a full blown one.  The crowd was really into it, and they actually got an encore song.  Once they finished up their encore, they were off, leaving an empty stage and a high level of anticipation throughout the crowd.

The Black Lips took the stage and immediately began hitting the crowd hard with their self-proclaimed flower punk (though I would personally describe them as garage-rock punksters with a badass attitude).  Not once did the crowd stop moving and there was quite a bit of crowd-band interaction.  Jared, the bass player, even gave one of the guys in the crowd his beer, and he gave another a bottle of water.  The crowd was all there for the same reason, and there weren't any downers among it, which I was very relieved by.  They didn't really take a break at any point, except for when Cole, one of the guitar players, had to tune his guitar, so it was a non-stop barrage of amazing songs and high energy that left me extremely tired.  On their last song, Jared and the other guitar player, Ian, jumped out into the crowd and surfed along the outreached hands.  The show was over, and I reluctantly, but at the same time, relieved, made my way towards the back of the venue, where the exit and the merch tables were.  Already standing back by the Black Lips table was Cole, the guitar player.  He was happily talking to anyone who approached him, but at the moment, he seemed pretty engaged with one guy, talking about who knows what.  Instead of interrupting, I just purchased a vinyl pressing of one of their albums, and my friends and I made our ways into the night.

Walking back to our car, we all jubilantly talked about how amazing the show was, and how it was one of the best ones we had been to in a really long time.  It was just a show full of cathartic energy that proved to be a nice escape from the responsibilities of day-to-day life, which might explain why so many college kids were present.  In the car, on the trip back to Providence, I started thinking about how great it would be to be in a band like the Black Lips.  They've toured in almost every single continent, they travel around with their friends non-stop, they don't have to have what society deems a real job, and they get paid for something that I'm sure they all love to do.  They also bring real music to people.  They are one of the leading bands in the sixties revival sound, and they are not losing touch of the roots of a lot of popular music.  They are a band that likes to party, who isn't necessarily preaching a serious, outright political message, and I think this makes them a very accessible, fun and enjoyable band.  Couple these things with the fact that they are good guys who truly appreciate the crowds of people that come out to see them, and you've got the makings of a great band.

(Word Count: 1290)

Gosling's "Not For Sale" Critical Review

Gosling, in his chapter in Music Scenes, discusses the development of Anarcho-Punk and the differences between the Anarcho-Punk scenes of the U.S. and the U.K.  He makes is clear where this scene got its roots, regardless of whether it was the U.S. or the U.K. scene.  He says that the "development of the underground punk scene was a reaction of disappointment with 'mainstream' punk, (p.168)" and that it was "rooted in a radical break from the capitalist logics of the major record companies. (p.180)"  Even though both the U.S. scene and the U.K. scene were rooted in similar beginnings and ideas, the U.S. scene has managed to outlive the U.K. one and this is for a few reasons.  Because of the U.S. ideology of the land of opportunity, Gosling feels that the members of the U.S. scene "appear to be socialized to expect to be able to exploit opportunities within the commercial world to advance their own distinctive goals. (p. 176)" This ideology is what led to U.S. Anarcho-Punk labels expanding their operations and surviving past the days of the bands they they started the label with.  The U.K. is a land of class distinctions, and business was seen as a bad thing and one of the "cornerstones of the establishment, meaning exploitation and hierarchy. (p. 177)"  This ideology led to many bands becoming embarrassed that they were getting some money from the labels they set up and it led to the eventual demise of these labels once the heyday of the bands that started them was up.  Lastly, Gosling goes on to discuss the differences between the U.S. and U.K. scenes as viewed by fans.  After checking some websites and interviewing people he concludes that for U.K. fans, political matters are a central positive point, whereas U.S. fans think that political matters could actually play a detrimental role and corrupt the authenticity of bands.

Question: How much does band authenticity matter in today's underground music scenes?  The U.S. Anarcho-Punk bands didn't seem to be viewed as sell-outs when they started making money off of their independent record labels.  Would that still be the case today?  Is a band selling out if they are making money off of their own, independent record label?