My company has announced a details-to-be-revealed-later relationship with an up-and-coming rock/metal band, Diamond Lane.
We produced an ad for them, which is going in Your Music Magazine, that looks a little something like this…
If you’ve paid attention to this blog for a little while now, you probably know that I’m a big metal fan (or “metalhead” as we like to call it). So it shouldn’t be any surprise that I went to a Judas Priest concert this past Sunday…
Judas Priest. Heaven and Hell. Motorhead. Testament. At a huge venue (Shoreline Amphitheatre).
Quite alot of metal, of different kinds, on one bill, and it was amazing. Priest was, by far the best, but Motorhead was fun to watch … Lemmy is always hilarious. The others were interesting too, but I’ve seen Heaven and Hell before, Dio gets annoying afterwhile and it just drags on.
Anyways, I have two points to make here:
Older Isn’t Always Better
Most bands, especially in metal, don’t stand the test of time. Black Sabbath fell apart, Heaven and Hell looks and sounds tired, Iron Maiden is largely a joke to those under 45, Slayer is less-Slayer than ever before, and even Metallica has been accused of getting old (note: listen to the new album, then try and say that).
To go outside the realm of metal, The Rolling Stones sound and look like crap, Genesis is gone… the list goes on.
Pick up “Angel of Retribution” and “Nostradamus”, both by Judas Priest in the last few years, and tell me they’ve gone the way of the dinosaur. Tell me that they sound like crap, changed their sound, or haven’t come up with anything original, innovative, or interesting.
You won’t, because you can’t.
Poke around the ‘net, and you’ll see alot of discussions of the vitality of this band: guitars are stronger, faster and more complicated than ever; Halford’s vocal range, at both ends of the spectrum, is exponentially greater than anyone else in the industry, including himself from years ago; the quality of their gear adds a more modern tone to even the oldest of their songs; and this list goes on as well.
But none of this really feels important or interesting to most people… until you see them live.
Halford stomps around the stage as if he were a 25 yr. old, stage production is huge and full of crazy stuff, and the rest of the band has an energy that people their age shouldn’t have without help from a prescription. Not to mention flawless execution of the entire set. Or Halford.
At one point during the show, Halford went from a deep almost Angel Gossow-esque growl all the way up to a glass-shattering pitch that even Pavarotti would have been jealous of. The entire crowd roared as if Metallica had just announced they were forming a super-group with Slayer and Judas Priest.
The whole point is this: Judas Priest isn’t going anywhere any time soon. They aren’t a “studio band” that can’t deliver live because of their age. Their music isn’t “old and tired”. They are still influencing alot of new bands and artists… with music they created 4 years ago.
It’s a Community
The other great experience from the show is a perfect example of just how wrong the average metal-hater is about our particular group of diehard fans. We’re typically stereotyped as a bunch of angry, ignorant, juvenile, and anti-social blue-collar racists. Obviously I’m not, and I can tell you from all the shows I’ve been to that a statement like that is very far from the truth, but…
I was getting coffee right before Priest came on, since we were outdoors and it was getting a little chilly. I stopped at a picnic table to stir in some of the powdered creamer, and a girl slightly older than me asked if she could sit down.
We started talking about music, where she’s from, etc. Then her boyfriend came over from getting some food, sat down and joined in. No “why you talking to my girl, little man?” or anything like that… “hey, how you doin’? I’m [x]” was actually what happened.
Then a group of three 40+ yr. olds sat down on the other side of the table. Within two minutes, the 6 of us were discussing bands, industry events (like NAMM), John Petrucci vs. Joe Satriani, etc.
Keep in mind that I’m usually the “strong and silent” type, but that I was having a very in-depth conversation with five random strangers that I probably wouldn’t have connected with in “real life”.
But that illustrates just what the average non-metal person doesn’t see: being a metalhead is not about bravado, it’s about loving something that you truly connect with, and enjoying being part of a very large and diverse community. A community that, 9 times out of 10, protects it’s own. A community that doesn’t swallow stupidity easily, and can hold a more intelligent discussion on the merits of music than most other non-music students in the world.
Do a little research on this. Talk to people, poke around online… you’ll immediately find all the Slipknot fans who are violently angry at any and everyone. But dig deeper. Find the true metal fans, of real metal bands.
You’ll be surprised.
I’m not a big rap/hip-hop guy (obviously), but this song is really haunting and funny at the same time. And it’s been stuck in my head for days…
“Cookie Jar” by Gym Class Heroes
Why do I like metal so much? It’s simple: the music, the people, the bands, and the vibe are amazing. What do I mean?
Here’s a short description of a recent concert in Kansas with LAMB OF GOD and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE:
“I went to see the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/LAMB OF GOD show at Memorial Hall in Kansas City last night [Friday, December 7] and LAMB’s set was kinda different. First, they reported that on their way to KC, their bus had been hit by a semi-truck. I don’t think anyone was hurt, but they did mention it. Second, about a third of the way through their set, all the lights quit working. After a few minutes of playing in pitch black, they stopped and were told that the lights weren’t going to come back on. Randy [Blythe, LAMB OF GOD singer] said, ‘We’ll play this motherfucker in the dark, I don’t care,’ told everyone to be careful and watch out for each other, and launched back into it. They finished the show with nothing but a few small house lights on. Pretty cool, different situation and they said it was the most memorable show of the tour, one time even saying, ‘You know, back in the day, when Abe Lincoln went to metal shows, he had to do it by candlelight.’ The lights were fixed between sets and KILLSWITCH was able to use them.”
[via Blabbermouth]
Is that not the most awesome thing you’ve ever heard? Or, maybe, even the most metal thing you’ve heard?
Again, this is a topic I’ve avoided recently, not to better understand it, but because I thought it was stupid and would never happen. Oh how I was wrong.
Unless you live in a deep dark hole full of demons, you know there’s a Writers’ Guild strike going on. And that it’s deeply affecting shows that some people probably are more addicted to than a backwater hic to meth.
Why?
From what I understand, and I’m not claiming to either, there are two issues:
Each is actually dependent on the other, so let’s take a look…
Just as stupid.
Money
I read somewhere (not cited) that the average TV writer makes $200k/yr. Oh wow, that’s completely surprising! I thought everyone in Hollywood / LA was poor, and just pretended to be rich and successful, when in reality they are more poor than the average American and totally without any fame. I guess I was mistaken.
Seriously? $200k/yr for writing a season’s worth of TV shows, that ranges from 12-24 episodes, with maybe another show or two? And you’re COMPLAINING? [Edit/Note: my reference of “$200k/yr” was based upon something I read, and meant to link to. I’ve since lost that link, but I mention it because the number is being questioned by a few people.]
If you’re a writer (also called “authors” in the real world of books), you don’t expect to make alot of money, or be immensely successful. Yes, there is one author out of many who becomes wildly successful (and occasionally very rich) like J.K. Rowlings or Michael Crighton, but you don’t get into “the business” because you want to be rich. The fact that these writers make an absurd amount of money for what equates to a small portion of a book, and is often times just juvenile humor or slightly complex drama, is amazing.
But even more amazing that they feel underpaid.
Hey, guys, guess what? This is J.K Rowling.
You are not her, and never will be.
Distribution
The guys who write NBC’s “The Office” have a video floating around the Internet (Google it) of them complaining about not receiving money for distribution of their media. They mention “webisodes” and “online viewing of episodes”, and not being properly compensated for them.
This is hilarious to me.
Let me get this straight: you’re complaining that not only are you not getting enough money for doing very little amounts of work, but you’re also complaining that you aren’t getting paid for your content being shown in what is a largely ad-free environment?
If you view an episode of “The Office” online (legally), you are shown maybe three 30-second advertisements during the showing, and it’s usually for the same company/product/service. If you view one of their “webisodes” for the show, you get even less advertisement. So, you want to be paid for everytime someone views your work, especially online? How does that even make any sense?
You People Are Stupid
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you (writers) don’t get paid per viewer of your TV show through the normal delivery method (aka TV), do you? I’m pretty sure you don’t because the number of viewers for any given show is one of the most highly argued issues in modern media. So that means you get a lump sum for a certain productivity level.
I will then assume that that amount of money scales based upon both your work output and the overall popularity of the show (from season to season). By the same logic, one would assume that if you write a “series of 10 webisodes” (as the same video references), you get paid more than you would for just a normal season.
Right? That’s what I thought. You guys just can’t accept that, God forbid, your show is viewed any other way than on TV or DVD. May Zeus strike me down if I were to miss an episode, and want to watch it on the network’s website, so I can continue watching your show that I may or may not love so dearly.
Yep, guys, this is you!
Guilds? Is This 1943?
Not only does this whole strike situation piss me off, but it also brings to light one of the worst permutations of a great idea in the history of mankind: a guild/union. A long long time ago, in an America perhaps 60 years ago, they were a great idea. They helped to standardize wages, work conditions, and other critical elements of any job.
But today, they are nothing but a sorry excuse for a group of money-grubbing attention whores. The only time I can remember a strike actually having purpose and legitimacy, during my time of sentience, is the UPS strike (Google it). This writers’ strike is not an example of good intentions or purpose, just like when labor unions band together to increase how much the standard plumber charges you to show off his ass.
New Media
The world of “new media” is here, so get over it. Blogs, videoblogs, webcams, webisodes, TV on the Internet, and others are not going anywhere, no matter how much you want them to “go gently into this good night”. The “old media” companies are having a hard enough time adjusting as it is (online episodes, Internet-distribution of media, etc.), without you causing them any more problems.
If you like making everyone’s future absolute Hell, keep it up. Maybe we can make a revision to the DMCA where no-one is allowed to distribute anything on the Internet, ever, without paying someone royalties.
Yeah, because that has worked out so freaking well to the music industry, hasn’t it?
[I’m not the only one who thinks this way… see what Micheal Eisner and Jon Stewart think]
I’m going to change gears for today, and write about something I came across last night: “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Part II: No World for Tomorrow” by Coheed and Cambria.
The Band
Coheed and Cambria have an interesting history. For a full description, see their Wikipedia entry, but here’s what you need to know:
The New Album
The album doesn’t come out for a little bit, but I got ahold of it last night… the only thing I can say is that I’m truly impressed. From “Running Free” (which they posted on MySpace a long time ago), I was thinking this album would just be a repetition of “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV”, and be bland and uninteresting as a result.
How wrong was I.
C&C: An example of “awesome”
Each song is an exercise in epic diversity. The title track “No World for Tomorrow” is of the same cloth as “Welcome Home”, a large and very much “metal” song. “Feathers” starts off as what seems a cover of a pop band’s song, and then turns into a winding anthem. “The Hound” is like an 80’s rock band crossed with Genesis. You get the picture.
Greatness Apparent
As I said before, I wasn’t expecting this, and when I was hit with the pure size and sound of this album, not to mention the diversity… I was shocked. It seems that the band has left behind their dreams of being a soft-song/radio-bound band, and taken to heart that “Welcome Home” was one of the most loved songs they’ve ever created. Unlike the latest Radiohead album, this is a step in a direction everyone wants to see, and only some knew was coming.
Fallout Boy: An example of “suck”
Of all the concerts/shows I’ve been to, I was supposed to see Coheed and Cambria twice by now… and have yet to see them. Seeing them play live, especially after this album, should be an amazing experience. If you listen to “rock music” or have any appreciation for musicianship and originality, you will listen to this album.
And be in awe.
As you may have noticed, the music industry has been shaking up lately thanks to Radiohead, Madonna, Jamiroqai, and Oasis… along with The Pirate Bay and TorrentSpy, of course.
When will this end? When will the RIAA realize it’s performing an exercise in futility, cut losses, turn tail, and go home (metaphorically speaking… or am I being serious…)? There’s a couple answers in this “perplexalation” (I just made that word up, and I’m going to use it daily).
Seriously. That’s their company slogan.
Big Names
For the recording industry to truly fall apart, there needs to be bigger artists to sign on to this. I don’t have a link to it, but Nine Inch Nails did all of this months ago. Now Radiohead and Madonna, two artists who are in very different genres and speak to different people, have jumped on the bandwagon. Who’s next? It’s hard to say. Many up-and-coming bands already do the online album “thing” from their MySpace pages, and (as I wrote about a few days ago) Prince gave away his latest album as well.
So let’s do the tallying of the artists’ categories:
Notice anything? Two of the most popular genres in the country are missing: Rap/Hip-Hop and Country.
One of the reasons the RIAA hates the Internet.
Rap
I honestly believe that for the recording industry to fall, it will have to be a fight across all fronts. That being said, I have a hard time believing that artists within this specific circle will give away their albums for free, or resort to some other non-label methods. Why? Maybe I’m wrong, but when the songs you make are typically about how much money you have, how you spend it, how hardcore you are, and how you are “legit” now that you’re on a label… that doesn’t exactly scream “I’m progressive”.
Artists that are respected by those outside the rap community have a large sway in both directions, and so there is a chance this can happen. Jay-Z, Kanye West, 50Cent, and Eminem are the few handful of names known in households around the country… they are the ones who will have to innovate (Jay-Z is notorious for being creative and innovative, so I fully expect his participation soon).
Country
I don’t know much about country, but something tells me if one artist starts on the RIAA destructowagon, they all will. Perhaps that’s just my predjudice against music that sounds the same no matter who it comes from, and a lack of change or innovation in the genre for the last 25 years, but who knows. Maybe they’re all secretly geniuses waiting to spring their supreme intelligence on the world.
Why The RIAA Is Retarded
Seriously? Suing your clientbase for being interested in your products? Didn’t the MPAA give that up years ago, and let the movie pirating market over in Asia take it’s course? And I seem to recall reading somewhere that movies like Spider-Man and Harry Potter have had the greatest box office sales in history?
Yes, Mr. 1982. Yes, it is.
The RIAA needs to give up. I haven’t bought a hand-on-plastic CD in at least 6 years. This all started with Napster, and will not be ending any time soon, no matter how many people have an illegal lawsuit brought against them via spying and something akin to wiretapping. Apple realized that the market for digital music sales was huge, waiting to be discovered… look at where iTunes has gone. Amazon just got in the game. Smaller bands/artists now sell their songs individually through their websites.
Do you really need any more evidence?
Goodbye, Cruel World
I’m hoping that the lawsuits The Pirate Bay has filed in Sweden against the major labels gets traction. When companies are illegally mining for your personal data through networks, and then suing you based on it… yeah, that needs to be stopped. Just because you have alot of money doesn’t mean you can stomp on the face of a 9 year old girl who may not know exactly what’s going on.
How the RIAA finds you. Bad person!
Metallica has a new album coming out in the Spring (supposedly). Wouldn’t it be the greatest irony of all time if it were released through the internet, and not a label… repenting for their past sins of attacking their fans? I hope so.
The title of this is a little … over the top… but nonetheless, I want to take a break from writing about technology, programming, and other cool things involving computers and write about something a little different… finger exercises.
These finger exercises are known to reduce both men and women to tears, rip the hearts out of many, and assault the hearing of those nearby. These finger exercises are known under a more common and colloquial term: guitar.
Yep.
I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s that six-stringed instrument that your frat buddies pretend they play, the one that the girl you dated in high school played because she was against “the system”, and the one that you yourself might just play… but the chances of you or someone you know actually being good, talented, or original are slim-to-none.
Anyways, unless you were born in a hole full of Darkness, you know who “Prince” is (also, at one time was known as “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince” to weasel out of a record deal). I read a post over at Cracked today about celebrity fights, and the one between Sinead O’Connor and Prince caught my eye… go read it, and come back.
Back? Good.
I’m not very outspoken about music that isn’t some form of heavy metal or hard rock, and even then I’m selective of only the bands that are talented and original (aka I hate Slipknot, Puddle of Mudd, and pretty much any band you can name that you’ve heard of in the “mainstream” other than Metallica). But I like Prince. Not in an I-like-dudes sort of way, but in a I-have-respect-for-his-music-and-talent way.
The Man. The Myth. The Legend.
Talent
Prince is more talented on a guitar than you or I will ever be. In fact, if you’ve ever seen him play live (or on one of the DVD’s) you know that he’s more talented on a guitar without even TOUCHING it than anyone else. Granted, his latest two releases haven’t been all that amazing… one was a little too “R&B-ish” and the other was too mechanical/synthesized. But that doesn’t mean he’s not talented.
Body of Work
Prince has one of the largest catalogs of recordings on this planet (this is a fact, Google it), given that he records almost everything he does musically… in case he wants to use it. Have you seen Purple Rain (the movie)? Amazing movie… apparently he’s a good actor too. Have you heard songs like “Little Nikky”, “Little Red Corvette”, and “Purple Rain”? These are the more publicly popular songs, but they are very very good. The build up of “Purple Rain” is of epic proportions, and when the guitar comes in towards the end… I get chills.
Personal Creativity
Yes, Prince is a little weird. To be fair, so is every other genius. Look at people you might consider geniuses: Bob Dylan’s early interviews, Einstein’s personal life, Thom Yorke (of Radiohead)… the list goes on. The line between genius and insanity is a fine one, as the saying goes, so why do people pick on Prince, and not other people of equal eccentricity and genius? Is it because of the clothes? Is it because of his quiet voice and demeanor? Is it because of how he’s perceived?
I would argue that people pick on Prince not because he’s a little different, but for the same reason as the bullies of middle school: they don’t understand him, and are a little bit afraid. When you have someone with the ego and vision of Prince, and combine it with the way he acts and dresses… that can create quite a storm of feelings in other people. It doesn’t really bother me, but it’s not a reason to say Prince is a “bad” musician.
Chappelle’s Show
By now, everyone on Earth has seen the famous episode on “Chappelle’s Show” about Prince, pancakes, women’s clothing, and basketball. I’ll admit it… that’s one of my favorite sketches from that show, and I laughed so hard I cried. I’m not really clear on whether or not Prince acts like that, since I’ve never met him, but it’s fair to assume that it was, at the minimum, stretched a little bit for comedic purposes. Don’t let it taint your perception of reality.
Prince’s comedic counterpart?
Why?
Why do I bother with all of this? Because I think Prince is very talented. I think he’s a musical genius. I really like his music. I want him to make another good album. I want other people of my generation to understand his musical vision. I want him to do a large tour so I can see him play live.
Not all of this, and maybe nothing, will be accomplished by my writing… but I wanted to express a simple fact:
I listen to metal, almost exclusively.
And yet, I think Prince is very talented, and I listen to his music.
Does that tell you anything?
