Get Thee To Thy Brick 'n Mortar Store (And Yee Shall Discover New Musics)
Y'know, I hear a comment all the time from people of a certain age and demographic that is getting just sooooo tired: "there isn't any good music being made anymore"
To that, I say: poppycock! (yes, poppycock!)
You see, there are SO many more outlets to discover good new music these days it is almost overwhelming. Many people truly still rely only on traditional radio to get turned onto music yet, for the most part, commercial radio is a very closed affair when it comes to new stuff -- tight playlists run by large corporations limit what you actually hear. There is so much good music being made these days. You just have to look in different places for it. Personally, I more or less stopped relying on radio in the mid 80s…. but the decline was happening well before that. I mean, even Elvis Costello wrote back in 1978 "the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel" in his song Radio Radio.
So, how did I keep up on new music? For me discovering music is a social affair. I talk with friends in person, at parties and on line. Back in the day we all used to share mix tapes and then CDRs.
I heard an advance CD of the new Queens of the Stone Age album which blew my mind a bit since it reminded me a lot of Jeff Buckley (an artist I discovered, by the way, due to the recommendations of three different friends back in the day -- I am a life long fan to this day). Streetlight didn't have the new album in stock yet but promised it will be this week and I will be getting it. I'll probably even go for the deluxe edition LP as a friend of mine has it already (he pre-ordered it from the band's website) and he says it is stellar.
The other band I heard and fell in love with was Beirut. I bought their 2009 album March of the Zapotec (on vinyl even!). I will be getting more of their music soon. Last time I was in Amoeba Records, a band I'd missed in the '90s caught my ear, so now I own several CDs by Built To Spill.
It was that easy. Bam! In one month I've gotten into at least four great bands that I had not heard previously.
So… don't tell say there is no good music being made anymore people. Get out of your comfort zone and go out and find it. It is there. Support your local music store. End of rant. ;-)
Big Star Movie Coming Soon
Nothing Can Stop Me, the much anticipated documentary on the influential rock back Big Star is opening soon at theaters around the country. Why should you be excited? Well, first off, the soundtrack album is spectacular, featuring alternate mixes and takes of songs from the band's legendary catalog, music that has influenced generations of musicians from REM to The Posies and beyond.
Visit the film's website to learn more about the film and check on theatrical showings of the film. While you are at it jump over to Amazon and order the two LP soundtrack from Omnivore Records. If you like power pop or just good rock and roll, you'll probably love this recording. I picked it up the limited edition orange-yellow edition on Record Store Day this year and can attest to its brilliance -- it is a lovingly pressed album that sounds fabulous and presents fresh takes on Big Star's canon -- this is not some bottom of the barrel low fidelity bootleg of studio floor throwaways. Great stuff here. Get it!
Free Kink?
Dave Davies, co-founder of The Kinks and the man behind the sound that pretty much changed the sound of pop, rock and ultimately hard rock and heavy metal music -- his guitar sound on The Kinks' first hit "You Really Got Me "-- is on tour in America. If that weren't enough of a reason to celebrate -- he had a stroke many years ago and has made a remarkable recovery -- you folks in New York will get an even more special bonus in the form of a free show! City Winery is hosting its 5th Annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival which means you NYC-dwellers get FREE after work shows every Tuesday from June 4th through August 27th, from 5:00PM-7:30PM! Dave Davies is playing the opening show on June 4th! For more information, visit the City Winery website.
Get Well Soon, Lou
In case you haven't heard, legendary songwriter and musician Lou Reed underwent a liver transplant last month and is in recovery. We here at Big Picture Big Sound are sending out healing wishes for a full and fast recovery to Mr. Reed so he can continue his amazing walk on the wild side of life.
New Beatles Album?
High Def Wings
While we're mentioning the Beatles, its a good time to remind you about some news relating to uber deluxe edition of Wings of America, the legendary document of Paul McCartney's second band's tour of the states back in the mid 1970s, is out now in grand fashion. But if you don't want to spring for all the bells and whistles but just want the music in high definition fidelity, the good folks at HD Tracks are now offering the entire album in a 96 kHz, 24-bit edition. No bells 'n whistles, just the music in its remastered high resolution glory. Go get it at HDTracks.
App Awesomeness: Bang on The Golden Gate Bridge All Day
Have you ever wanted to clang on something for a while? Well, now in the privacy of your very own iPad you can and not on just some random piece of metal but the entire Golden Gate Bridge! The San Francsico Synthesizer Ensemble have made an app that lets you strum or pluck the bridge and record the sounds as a piece of music -- up to four tracks of distinct sounds the SFSE captured from sampling sounds including: vertical cables, guardrails, light stanchions, cars passing over bumps, crashing of the waves below and even the main cable that holds the entire bridge up! They used the app to make a new album called "A Day in the Life of the Golden Gate Bridge" which you can get up on iTunes and while you are it get their DVD at Amazon documenting the same named video documentary celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the bridge. And of course you can get the app in the app store at iTunes.
Crazy fun, eh?
Until next time, remember: Music Matters!
