Huh

I hate pop music. If you're from around here, you'd know that the pop station here is Z93. I honestly can't stand listening to it for more than a couple minutes. Most of the music that people are making is just synthesized crap with some lyrics over the top that is repeated for three minutes which in turns makes the "artist" millions of dollars. I guess I don't get it. Thank goodness there's still classic rock stations around that play music from people that could actually play instruments. Also, there are so many non-mainstream bands out there that work hard to make awesome music and are very talented, but don't have the media attention that LMFAO or whatever has.

I think it's funny that a lot of these new bands that suck are mostly supported by kids in middle school and that wiser people seem to know that they are crappy musicians. I guess that's something. So for those talented, instrument playing bands that are about to rock, I salute you.

Invisible Shield

I remember when I was little and things weren't going so good, I would always hide. Arguing parents, trouble, punishment, or embarrassment would all send me to the back of my closet. I remember hiding behind all my hanging clothes and piling up some other ones so that I couldn't be found. It was nice when I was little that I could escape my problems just by hiding. It's not so easy to hide anymore, trouble and pain and uneasiness find me wherever I try to hide. 

A long time ago I had a couple things that always protected me. The first was my blankey that I had since I was born...slept with it every night for 27 years. My most favorite thing ever. It was always there for me thick and thin...even that has gone. Lost it in an apartment fire this past summer. Another thing I had, and still do, was my stuffed animals. One in particular would always sooth me a little. It was a pink elephant that played music. When I was hiding, I would play the song over and over for what seemed like hours. The tune is forever etched in my brain, bringing me back to those hard memories. I have never found a version as good as that little pink elephant played, but here's something that's kind of close.

Music

Music has the distinct ability, maybe more so than other other media, to tap into the emotions that a person cannot express otherwise. The music I listen to often is sad, painful, or lonely and for good reason. The feelings I have about my life cannot be expressed in any other way except for music. The fact that most of my life has been wasted and that I have become a nobody makes me feel indescribable. Lucky for me, far more talented people have written songs to express some of the feelings I have. This new song by Aaron Lewis perfectly expresses what I feel about myself and life in general. And one of my all-time favorites..Simple Man by Lynard Skynrd can show you a small sliver of a glimpse into what I feel. Fake pain according to some, but it sure feels real.

                                              Aaron Lewis- Something to Remind You

                                               Lynyrd Skynyrd- Simple man

The Voice

When you think of talented singers, who comes to your mind? Screamers, crooners, smooth singers, or guys/girls with that rough edge? If you could have any person's singing voice, who would it would it be? I think about this sometimes and it amazes me how talented some people are vocally. The way they inject pure emotion and rich tones into their words is often amazing to me. There are some voices that I will listen to all day on repeat and not tire of it. There's something in a great music that is mesmerizing, whether it be the guitar playing, the voices, or the entire production...this is why I love music. It speaks to another dimension of life by telling a story that can't be told any other way. Enough of me talking out of my ass, here's two singers I really love. Brent Smith of Shinedown and Aaron Lewis from Staind. In the Shinedown video, which he does without a mic or anything, I love the emotion and grittyness of his voice. Aaron Lewis is smoother but also infuses great emotion and an edge as well. Listen Loud and enjoy.

                                                    Brent Smith from Shinedown

                                           Aaron Lewis of Stand singing Pearl Jam's "Black"

Local Licks

      This past year, I made me second trip to Lutsen for the Snowball Music Festival which includes a weekend of skiing and three nights of really good regional bands. Last time I went two folk bands blew the doors off the place and I was absolutely amazed. Pert Near Sandstone from Minnesota around the cities played an amazing set that included a clogger equipped with the wood shoes and all. The guys in the band are super talented and I've been lucky enough to meet a couple of them and they're pretty awesome guys. The other group that played was Trampled by Turtles, another folk group that was absolutely amazing. They played with a tempo and fervor that was surreal to listen to at the concert. It was a great time and we even had a jam with a bunch of locals and fest goers at the hotel during the weekend.
      The trip this January was also a blast, minus the 40 mph winds, and we got treated to a group called Roster McCabe and they play a kind of techno-rock music that was pretty incredible. The lead singer rocks a huge fro while playing keyboards, the guitar players are sick, and the drummer had a monster fro and was super talented as well. I was digging their music, but then they played a Led Zepplin cover of Kashmir that was fucking sick...I was in heaven.
    I think it's awesome that there is a ton of regional bands that are talented and have the desire to commit to their music and the daily grind of touring. To me, these are the types of band that really drive the music industry. It's not the prima-donnas that have songs written for them, it's the groups and individuals that craft their lyrics and music from personal experiences, both good and bad, and pour it all out on the stage when they're performing, then will have a beer with you after the show. We are lucky to live around this area because the local music scene is actually very strong, and bands like Roster McCabe and Three Beers til Dubuque and Charlie Par are usually playing within driving distance.
    To give you an idea what I'm talking about, I've posted three videos down below. The first one is Roster McCabe with Kashmir. Second is Pert near Sandstone, and the third is Trampled by Turtles. Enjoy and get out there to support your local smaller bands!

Pert' Near Sandstone

                                                        Trampled by Turtles

Auto-Tune. Give me a break.

I'm so damn tired of crappy hip-hop in today's music scene. Most of it is pure shit made only with beats and auto-tuned vocals. I'm entirely convinced that a large percentage of today's "pop" stars have very little natural talent, and any that they do is lost in their stupid outfits designed for shock factor. What ever happened to real music? Even the rock scene today is weak. Remember in the 90's when we still had epic bands like Guns N Roses? Or early 2000s when we had rock that was real and hard from bands like Rage Against the Machine. I wish we could take artists like Katy Perry and Kanye (although he's somewhat talented) and Lady Gaga and put them on a bus and drive that bus into the ocean. Yuck. Pop and hip-hop just suck right now. EVERY hip-hop song is auto-tuned and it's annoying. What the hell is that anyway? There should be a rule, if you can't do it in a performance without using sound effects, then don't do it (I'm talking vocals here obviously). Sounds stupid.

I talked about Rage earlier. Love that band. Love how they don't give a shit about what people think and how they're all cerebral guys that care about what's going on. Tom Morello, the lead guitarist, went to Harvard. How awesome is that? I didn't know much about rage when they were hugely popular because I didn't listen to much music then. Not sure why, but now I think they're awesome. When they split up and formed Audioslave, I was a mega fan. The first album, Cochise, is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Just about every song on there rips with a unique blend of Chris Cornell's voice and Tom Morello's crazy guitar licks. Good hard rock. None of this crap that's out today (with some exceptions of course). So here's a badass song from a badass group. Audioslave, with Show Me How to Live. Oh and by the way, he does auto-tune here...by slapping himself in the throat which they don't show in the video. Check out the live version below for that.

Turning Passion into Performance.

Stevie Ray Vaughan is my absolute favorite guitar player of all time. I can sit and watch videos of him for hours (and I have) without being able to fully comprehend the genius and talent I am watching. I was introduced to his music in college by two of my best friends, AFlint and MickFnOlsen, and I've been addicted to his playing ever since then. The first video I saw was a dvd of Stevie Ray's 1983 performance at Austin City Limits, which is a legendary gig for any musician. What I saw was a life-changer; SRV playing she shit out of Hendrix's Voodoo Chile. Un frickin believable. Raw passion and power, insane talent and technical skill, and an "I don't give a fuck attitude". Loved it and still love it.

On a personal level, he was a compassionate but troubled musician. By 1983 he had developed a pretty severe drug and alcohol problem that he would battle for a good part of the 80's. In his 1983 ACL performance he was pasty white and looked sick, which I am guessing is from drug use. Unlike so many other musicians, however, Stevie turned his life around with the help of his wife Lenny (who he wrote a song about) and continued to amazing fans from all around the world with his beat-up Strat. His music emulates his love and struggles in struggles in life, and the passion/pain can be seen in his eyes. From anything from "Texas Flood" to "Life Without You", Stevie Ray Vaughan touches your soul while simultaneously melting your face. Enjoy my two favorite clips of many favorite SRV clips.

Austin City Limits 1983 

"Voodoo Chile"

                                                    Volunteer Jam in Nashville, TN 1987
                                                             "Life Without You"

                                                                   "Texas Flood"