July 5th, 2009
The Saviour of "Fun" Music
editor’s note: I have had this sitting in drafts for months now and even before then it was rattling around in my head for almost as long. Here’s to “better late than never”.
I don’t mean it in a bad way but I think Kurt Cobain and grunge took the fun out of rock and roll
This is old news by now, but I’m a lazy poster. Brandon Flowers, of the band The Killers, was quoted as saying the above to the Daily Mail. He also said that he felt that his band was making American music a lot more “playful and brighter”. I can’t tell you how much this quote pissed me off. Not only from the incredible arrogance of the quote, but mostly from the shear ignorance of music history on display.
Nirvana’s last studio album, In Utero, was released in 1993. So, according to Brandon, there has been no “fun” rock-n-roll records in the last 16 years and it’s up to his band to bring the “fun” back?! Let’s forget all of the underground music, which I mostly listen to and makes his statement instantly laughable, and focus on groups that are “popular”.
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Tags: Brandon Flowers, Killers, Nirvana
Posted in Music, Opinion | 1 Comment »
March 27th, 2009
“Every time I get the inspiration
To go change things around
No one wants to help me look for places
Where new things might be found”
This verse, from The Beach Boys’ song “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”, has always meant a lot to me. I have always longed for the experience of being part of a musical collective or scene that is comprised of like-minded childhood friends of varied tastes. The indescribable bond that seemed to bring/hold together the likes of the Beatles, Nirvana, Radiohead, Saddle Creek and The Elephant 6 Collective (The Apples in Stereo, Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control most importantly) has been an elusive quality that I’ve always coveted.
Like war buddies, who have this unspeakable language that no outsider can understand, childhood friends have this connection that’s impossible to explain. Going through the same life-forming experiences, albeit from different points of view, allows for this “sixth sense” when playing with each other that can’t be easily replicated. John Lennon once said, in a Rolling Stone interview, that the one thing he missed about the Beatles was playing with people who knew from a yelp or facial gesture exactly where he was going and could transition mid-song.
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Posted in Music, Opinion | 1 Comment »
March 10th, 2009
ummmm...yeah.
I’m at a loss on this one. I couldn’t think of anything funny for the headline to this post. I twittered about this a few months ago, but I finally have photographic proof.
The owner of this jeep is a local Armed Forces recruiter. At their old place, he used to park under their sign and I was waiting to get that picture because it was so perfect. Alas, they moved, so I’ll have to settle for this one.
Now I’m not a peacenik, but doesn’t everyone agree that we’ve been giving war a chance since the dawn of man? This is one of those cases where I get what he’s trying to say, but the premise is so flawed that it makes him look like an idiot. What do you guys think?
Tags: Funny, Local News
Posted in WTF? | No Comments »
March 9th, 2009
Tobin Sprout's Elliott
Tobin Sprout, one-time member of Guided By Voices and accomplished photo-realist painter, has been a pretty big inspiration on me as a songwriter. I have tried to sing like him for over a decade. He has this earnest tenor sound that I’ve always been enamored with. Unfortunately, for me, it’s way out of my range and I’ve just recently come to terms with that. Thanks Tom!
Well, he’s now released his first children’s book, “Elliott”. The prints, from the book, that are on sale at his web site are fantastic and I’m excited to get this for Evan. The illustrations evoke this dreamy, childlike, magical quality that is contrasted, by the use of shadow, with a sense of foreboding.
This is right up Evan’s alley and I’ll let you know how it is once we get it.
Click here for more information on the book.
One of my favorite Tobin Sprout songs, “To Remake the Young Flyer”
Tags: Children's Books, GBV, Tobin Sprout
Posted in Art, Books, Music | 1 Comment »
March 9th, 2009
An interesting take on Jesus.
You know, when I think of Jesus, also known as “The Lamb of God” and “The One Mediator”, (You know the really old guy that preached peace and a “brotherhood of man”?) the first thing that comes to my mind is taking aim and shooting something. Luckily, I’m not the only one. A group of archers, who call themselves the “Archers for Christ”, have, un-ironically, adopted the motto “Shooting for Jesus”.
I mean, there’s no way that could be taken the wrong way. Right? Even if it was, sometimes a pointy object in the tuckus is just what some people need. Think of all the good that came out of using the “Judas Cradle” back in the day.
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Tags: Funny, Local News
Posted in Local News | 3 Comments »
March 8th, 2009
An out-of-control ego-driven repository for all things pertaining to Chad Barnard and PodcastRant.com
Posted in Site News | No Comments »
