Desi In Toronto

Been a big fan of The Black Keys for a while now. I had thought that they had lost a little direction with their previous album Brother but they proved me wrong. Their latest album came out in December. Since I had put ordered it (yes i’m one of those fans), I was able to form an opinion on the album on the first day. This is the best album from the Keys to date. Even better than their earlier catalog.

So when I was offered the chance to see them live, I jumped at it. And the opening act was The Arctic Monkeys!!! What could’ve better than the combination. I was really looking forward to a fun evening of fantastic music. And then I see the seats at the ACC. That’s when I remembered the reason why I stopped going to large venues. I was wedged tightly between a woman making out heavily with her boyfriend and a guy who seemed to be having a competition with treat of the crowd. As in he was trying to prove he could drink more than 10 people put together.

The Monkeys were outstanding but the sound system was horrible! i’m surprised no one really complained about it. Since I was alone and wedged between the make out couple and the drunk, I kept quiet.

The enthusiasm I had for the show was dying by the minute. The worst was the time between the opening act and the feature act. Drunk got himself three beers, people behind me lite up a joint and the make out couple would not stop taking cute pictures of themselves, with the flash.

The moment The Keys came on, everything changed! From they opening song (Howling for you) till the end, they were outstanding. The art work on the screen was amazing but quite distracting. The music was good and the band was tight. I still had issues with the sound but the songs were good enough to tide over that short coming.

Overall it was a good experience but I have decided no more large venues. Young people are fun to around but sometimes they are too much. And with that statement I have officially become old!

btw, this is my first post on the Samsung Galaxy. Tried it several times on the iPod and the iPad but I was never able to finish a post on those devices.

Here we go! I always look forward to these kinds of posts.

10) Hey Rosetta (Seeds)

One of the most intelligent bands from Canada. Their songs are a remarkable blend of grunge, strings and melodies. Songs are a little too long but each one carries a build up that’s hard not to rock out on.

9) Feist (Metals)

Saw her live with Broken Social Scene and what a fantastic performer! Totally rocked the crowd with her songs from The Reminder. And that’s what I was worried about. Feist would be remembered by that one album. But she proved me wrong. Metals is an excellent follow up album! There are no outstanding singles like 1234 but the whole sound is amazingly lush and quite pleasing to the ears.

8) Fucked Up (David Comes To Life)

This album is a concept album and runs for 1 and a half hours! Needless to say that you need quite a few listens before the blazing guitars and the screaming start to make some sense. However, once you get over that “hump”, the wait is totally worth it. Amazing album!

7) Yuck (Yuck)

I hear influences of Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth in this album. What drew me to this album was the emotion in the songs. And the hooks in all the songs were quite hard to miss. A band worth watching in the future.

6) The Black Keys (El Camino)

Finally an album from the Keys which does not have a single slow song!! Even the slow starting Black Submarines blasts out midway. Excellent work. I am going to see them at the Air Canada Center in March next year!!

5) TV On The Radio (Nine Types Of Light)

Another excellent album from TOTR. These guys never seem to cease to amaze me. Although this album is not as powerful as their previous work, but it’s good enough for year’s top 10!

4) The Chemical Brothers (Hanna)

This is probably the first I have put in a soundtrack on top 10. Well, it helps that the soundtrack was by one group only. I remember watching the movie and being completely mesmerised by the music in the background. It just fit in so well with the scenes. It’s mostly instrumental which means that without watching the movie, the music is meaningless.

3) Beirut (The Rip Tide)

Solid album from Beirut. Songs are seamlessly sewn together with the melodies packed on more melodies. Wonderful album and one of the few albums that my wife and daughter liked on first listen! Rarely happens.

2) Bry Webb (Provider)

After disbanding (?) the hard rocking The Constantine, Bryan Webb came out with this folk rock album inspired partly by the birth of his child. The album is a complete anti-thesis of what we have come to expect from Bryan which is why this album works so well. It’s got one of the best ‘growing old’ song I have ever heard (Ex Punks). He also provided back vocals on Feist’s album. Looks like everything he touches will turn to gold!

1) Yellow Ostrich (The Mistress)

Why I find this the outstanding album of the year is because it is so strange! I mean, how can album be haunting and catchy? Low key and bombastic. That’s how I would describe it.

Well, I did it! I watched the first concert ever, all by myself! I had been purchasing tickets throughout the summer (always a pair of tickets hoping to convince someone to go with me) but I would always back out. This time I bought just one ticket and I made it to the show.

Grinderman is one of those bands that proves that noise rock is not the purview of the young only. I know Nick Cave is around 60 and the other band members looked more than 40 so I am guessing the average age is around 50. But they could put all the young guns to shame, easily.

The band started off with their opening track on their second album “Mickey Mouse And The Goodbye Man” and right away Warren Ellis (the lead guitarist, violinist, percussionist etc.) stood out as musician extraordinaire and stole the show. His use of feedback was amazing!! He was prancing around the stage as if in a trance and looked like he was having a mighty good time! If I were to be a musician in my alternate life, I would like to be as good as Warren.

That does not mean that the other musicians were sloppy in any way or form. Nick Cave has a commanding presence on stage with his haunting voice (surprisingly his voice sounded almost like on the album) and his interplay with the audience keeps them on their feet. The drummer and the bassist were tight and solid providing the perfect backbone to the two wild performers.

I should force myself to arrive late to these concerts. I mean the concert was advertised to start at 8pm. I reached at around 8:45 thinking that they would start soon. However, they did not start until 10:15pm!!!! WTF!!! They had an opening act (which was never advertised and by the groans around me, it was obvious none knew there was to be an opening act) who was on (it was a single person playing a weird air instrument) for about 40 minutes or so. I was ready to leave by 10pm but I kept telling myself “it’s Grinderman. It’s Grinderman. It’s Grinderman.”

Overall, I would give this show 8 out of 10. Excellent!

Been a big fan of Black Mountain (and their other incarnation The Pink Mountaintops) since last year. Their two albums “Black Mountain” and “In The Future” were amongst the best I have heard from Canada in a long time! These two albums epitomise all that I love about today’s rock and heavy metal bands. Black Mountain’s music is deeply embedded in Led Zepp, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple and they mix the exact amount of modern day eccentrics to make the mix a pleasure to listen.

However, on my first listen of their new album Wilderness Heart, I was utterly disappointed. The album is littered with chords from metal bands of 70s and no other obvious departures from that sound. Their previous two albums had diamonds that were immediately recognisable as astounding songs. But this album needs at least three listens before you start to realise that the album is quite astonishing.

The songs come across so powerfully primarily because of Stephen and Amber’s vocals. The interplay between them in almost every song is so amazing, so enlightening that you cannot help but thank the stars above that this group has these two vocalists. Even the song like ‘Let Spirits Ride’ that seems to be a left over from Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell, shines through because of the vocals. And then there are prog rockers like ‘Rollercoaster’. It’s songs like this that sets Black Mountain apart from other bands that try and ape the 70′s heavy metal sound. There are some funky bluesey songs too that are thrown in the mix that come off quite well. ‘Buried By Blues’ and ‘The Way To Go’ are really charming and songs to play on a sunny sunday afternoon while one is painting the garage door (now you know what I am going to do this weekend!).

Overall an excellent album from this Canadian outfit. I had a chance to see them last month but had no one to go with so I abandoned the idea. I really need to start getting used to the idea of going alone!

I purchase most of my music from emusic.com and have, over the years, become a big fan of the site. I usually first get info on a band from blogs or podcasts and then go to emusic to download.

Every now and then I come up short on new bands and none of my favourite bands on the emusic list have released any new albums. In that case I usually browse the emusic recommended listings. And that’s how I found Menomena.

I won’t go into the history of the band because I have no clue about them, and no clue what they are about so please google them.

I will talk about the album Mines that was released in July 2010.

The first song is fairly representative of the rest of the album. A slow brooding song about being let down by someone the singer loves. The music really sets the mood. It starts of with what sounds like a guitar and drums but then slowly more and more instruments come into play singular musical pieces or blend in with the song.

And it just continues from there on. Spastic but sounding melodic. Sparse sounding yet paints a landscape of hurt and longing. Brash yet full of maturity. And the number of instruments on this album belies the fact that there are only three people in the band and apparently, they recreate this sound without back up on stage! That would make them by far a great act to see live!!

Also, I read up a little about the band and from all accounts the band members are an acrimonious lot and it is my firm belief that friction within a band always translates to outstanding music (please don’t quote me on it as it’s just a theory).

Their sound did sound quite familiar to start with. The first song immediately reminded me of The Black Heart Procession Band. Sparse soundscape and powerful, haunting lyrics are what made me think of this other band. But by song 3, Killemall, it was fairly obvious that Menomena is a cut above (I have not listened to any album by the Black Hearts since Amore Del Tropico. So it’s possible I am just speaking out of my ass!).

Yet, I am convinced that this album will not be a major blockbuster. Alas, that is the fate of sterling, high quality and passionate bands of today’s music world. If it’s too complex and relies heavily on repeated careful listening, that cuts their audience by at least 50%. Oh well, I hope you will at least give it a try.

Quick round up what I am listening to these days :

1) Broken Social Scene (Forgiveness Rock Record)

Finally!! Finally!! They have released an album. Woohoo!! I heard this album a little while ago when it was being streamed at spin.ca, so I had an idea of how good the album sounded. But listening to it multiple times has made me realise that this album is probably the 2nd best in their arsenal (the best being You Forget It In People). And yes, I have included the “solo” efforts by Brendan Canning (excellent album) and Kevin Drew (amazing album!!).

The album has everything that can be expected from them….foot thumping music, spacey guitar work, dreamy vocals, completely mismatched songs, cacophony up the yin yang and power chords where required. The continued presence of more commercially successful artist (Emily Haines, Leslie Feist and Amy Millian) in the album makes it sound better and delivers on every note. All songs work but then again, I have been a big fan of BSS so I am biased. Highly recommended.

2) The Pack A.D. (We Kill Computers)

I had been listening to CBC radio 3 top 30 on my iPod and I was barely paying attention to it. Radio 3 does that sometime. Even though the focus is on indie music scene, sometimes, it is boring and dull. And that’s what was happening on a lazy afternoon when all of sudden BOOOOM. Pack A.D.’s song from their new album came on. I forget which one it was but all I could think of listening to that song was, man, I have to get this album.

After downloading their previous effort Funeral Mixtapes, my respect and love for this band was reinforced and after giving their latest album a few listens, I have become a big fan of this band. Definitely  in my top 5 Canadian bands in the last two years or so.

The album is packed with power riffs, big drumming and LOUD vocals. Never a dull moment in the album even when it slows down for a couple of songs. They have been compared unfairly to The White Stripes and  The Black Keys. As far as the format is concerned, yes, it’s a duo with only a guitar and drums like the other two bands. But that’s where the similarity ends. They are not as bluesy as The Black Keys and they are not as eclectic as The White Stripes (not yet). And even though I love Meg White’s drumming, the drummer of Pack A.D. is far more superior to Meg White’s drumming. All I know is that  they CAN play a mean tune and I am sure their worst critics tap their feet along with their music.

To be continued………

As an addendum to my previous post, I wanted to note the music that my daughter is listening to these days. The artists she follows are

- Jonas Brothers

- Taylor Swift

- Lady Gaga (minus the videos)

- Miley Cyrus

It’s lovely to see her musical horizons broaden from school poems to pop music. I can only hope that trend continues and she does not get stuck in this one dimensional music. Having said that, I can understand it’s appeal. Simple chords and easy to understand lyrics. After having heard Taylor Swift’s Tear Drops On My Guitar 10,000 times, I quite like that song now.

And thank god for YouTube! There is no way I am going to spend money on this music so Rhea goes to youtube and listens to the songs from that site. I have the parental controls set on (although the one by Windows is not very good) cause I do not want her to see videos she is not supposed to see. I mean there is no way in the world I will let her watch Lady Gaga’s videos. You cannot convince me that they are ok for a 6 year old.

One song she constantly listens to these days is Stupid In Love. I think it’s by Rhianna. She loves it because I once proclaimed that saying bad words in songs is ok and now when she sings that song “I am stuuuuupid in love” she always gives me that impish grin as if daring me to contradict myself. So far I have been shaking my head but if this song is heading to the top of the charts in her mind, then I might have to clamp down pretty soon.

I do like the fact that we discussed the song at length after listening to the lyrics. I explained that it seems that her boyfriend/husband was mean to her and thinks she is stupid and she is being ironic when she sings those lyrics. That really upset Rhea. “Why would a boyfriend say such mean things?” Oh my dear baby, you are growing up too fast to learn about adult issues.

Just a quick round up of what I am listening to these days.

1)     Bat For Lashes (Two Suns)

Apparently the band is one woman show like Nine Inch Nails. My first reaction was, Tori Amos! But upon further listening there are big differences. I mean, she is definitely influenced by Kate Bush and Tori Amos but her music is more expansive and paints a larger & more complex picture even though her lyrics are not comprehensible to the casual listener like me. Anyway, a must if you are in a melancholy mood.

Update : Just found out a “crucial” song is missing from the album I downloaded from emusic.com. Hmmm, I wonder why emusic.com did that?

2)     The Besnard Lakes (The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night)

The soundscapes from a myriad of instruments, the vocals, the lyrics all paint an astounding picture in my mind. I am very impressed with the band. And as per Spin, this is not even their best effort! Wow! The songs take a little while to get going but, boy, is the wait worth it. It would be interesting to see the band do a show. I mean the swelling music and the power cords should play well with the crowd. I have to say that listening to Besnard Lakes reminded me of SlowDive and alternatively My Bloody Valentine quite a bit. Shoegazing in the 10s? I thought that trend was long over?

3)     Rilo Kiley (The Execution Of All Things)

OK, I know I am late to the party of Rilo Kiley but better late than never! Excellent album from start finish. I like it when bands mix different genres and make something pleasing and yet disturbing at the same time. The lyrics of most of the songs are pretty dark but they are encased in pop notes with hooks that keep your feet tapping that is until you realise what Lewis is singing! Definitely a better listen than their earlier album Takeoffs and Landing. Now looking forward to listen to their next two albums.

4)     Frightened Rabbit (The Winter Of Mixed Drinks)

Eternally grateful to Will (www.willsband.net) for introducing this band to me last year. Loved their second album (Midnight Organ Fight) and this new album is again powerful stuff from the Scots. Will, Barrett and Chris have done a great job describing the album (willsband.net/index.php?post_id=596910) and I will only add that the overall tone of the album is upbeat and pulsating in stark contrast to their earlier effort. Love it!

5)     Fanfarlo (Reservoir)

Got a recommendation from Allison regarding this band and, man, it has really grown on me in the last few days. Melodious yet powerful; soothing yet enough cacophony to keep things interesting. The music paints a beautiful picture in the mind and that keeps me coming back to the album for more. Although the vocals remind me too much of Beirut but I am willing to overlook that aspect for the music. It would be interesting to see what they come up with next!

6)     The White Stripes

I know, I know they have not released anything for a while but I just saw the movie “Great White Northern Lights” and the sleeping White Stripes giant me has woken up again!! I missed their show when they were here during their tour and now am cursing myself for missing it. Amazing, amazing live performances. Jack going crazy on guitar around the stage and Meg thumping away at the drums producing foot stomping music. Or they would be just sitting and creating a beautiful sound from just two instruments at a time. Next they come around, I will definitely catch them live.

Here are some of my favourite tracks from each albums (minus White Stripes). It`s totally legit so don`t hesitate. Hope you like them :)

http://8tracks.com/agsharma/april-madness

There comes an album every now that captivates my senses. Sometimes it the dark and brooding sounds of The Pink Mountain tops. Sometimes it’s the melodious yet striking lyrics of Bill Callahan. Sometimes it’s the cacophony sounds of Broken Social Scene. But never in the past few years, when my music listening tastes changed from classic rock to alternative/indie, have I been so enthralled with a Rock group. And Cage The Elephant has done just that.

This album (thanks emusic.com!!) is an excellent album. Songs range from blues to rock and inspire foot tapping throughout the gamut of their music. I also like the lyrics of most of the songs and they don’t hold back on profanity which is a sign that they really don’t care about toeing the “morality”. I like that in a band.

Simple chords, killer hooks and catchy chorus define the album. LOVE the opener “In One Ear” whose message is basically a big F U to everyone who thinks a band is a just a clone (which sadly is true). The album continues the build up with the help of a strong rocking number 2 (James Brown). The third and sixth songs have been played to death by radio; “Ain’t no rest for the wicked” clearly the favourite amongst the DJs (it really is good but gets “old” very quickly) and “Back against the wall” which is an excellent representation of the album; rocking and melodious vocals. The weakest songs were “Tiny Little Robots”, “Lotus” and “Drones In The Valley”. These songs just sound as rushed and did not really grab me lyrically or musically. The hidden gem was “Judas”. What a fantastic bluesy rock and roll number!! Loved the buildup, loved the chorus and the energy with which the song was recorded was awesome!! “Back stabbin’ Betty” is laced with profanity so be careful about playing it in public but this is exactly why I like the song! The last two numbers are great way to close the album. “Soil to the sun” and “Free love”. Not very catchy but great listen anyway.

I do want to emphasise that there is no new sound break through in this album and there is a danger that CTE will be defined by this album until they do break new sound barriers. When I said that this group sounded like a clone because there are numerous groups out there with similar sound. What differs these guys is their free abandon when playing and their hooks. It would be interesting to see what they come up with next.

Radio Potatoe came up with a great post.

What is YOUR definitive artist for each decade?

My selection was :

Here’s my list :
60’s : beatles
70’s Led Zepp & P. Floyd
80’s : Bon Jovi & Prince
90’s : Nirvana
00’s : Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails.

I have to add to the 00′s the band White Stripes. I have no idea why I left them out of the equation. But the authour of the post also asked who would shine in 2010′s and that has been at the back of mind for a few days now. What will be the definitive band of the 2010′s?

The problem stems from the fact that popular bands in today’s music scene are not necessarily ”good” bands. Honestly, I have never been so out of touch the US or UK top 10 because the music on these charts is just bad. I am sorry there is no other word for it. The music being pumped out by the millions is hard to digest and with the focus on singles rather than albums, it is more or less guaranteed that the rest of the songs in the album are going to suck.

It is fair to say that since the music industry is pushing bands that have a shelf life of 10 weeks, there is going to be no big and a famous band in the 2010′s. The established ones will continue to shine but I think the era of big bands coming out of nowhere and storming the hearts of the audiences and critics alike is over. We the avid music listeners will have to contend with the theory of The Long Tail by Chris Anderson.

The Long Tail or long tail is a retailing concept describing the niche strategy of selling a large number of unique items in relatively small quantities – usually in addition to selling fewer popular items in large quantities.

My theory is based on The Long Tail where by the popular bands will continue to sell big for a few months or years and then disappear but there will always be bands which would be supported by a smaller but an avid following.

Bands like Sonic Youth has a small but a passionate following that ensures that this 25 year old band continues to perform and make records, bands like Tokyo Police Club have sold out shows regularly in Toronto even though they do not feature prominently on popular music scene outside alternative music. Bands like Blue Rodeo which is unknown outside Canada but are treated as gods in their home land and thousands of other bands.

The idea that music industry controls what we listen to is over. It’s us the audience that decides which band to listen to and support. Since we the audience have discerning tastes, we will never ever settle for one band as THE BAND of the decade. That is downright impossible.

Update : And as far as I know these small time bands do pretty good for themselves through shows and merchandising and are passionate about their music and their fans. As long as they keep making excellent music, we will continue supporting them. And some of them will end up on our Band Of The Decade Lists!

Right. It’s time to do my top 10 albums of the year 2009. Inspired by Will, Barrett and Chris (WBC!!) from Wills Band Of The Week.

10) The Decemberists.

Album : The Hazards Of Love.
Track: The Hazards Of Love.

The album not as powerful as The Crane Wife but still packs a punch. And the voice of Colin Meloy. Wow!!!
9) Noah And The Whale.

Album : The First Days Of Spring

Track : Blue Skies

Amazing, amazing album!!! Listened to it from track 1 to the last track on the first go. Will be keeping a sharp eye on this band. (h/t to WBC)

8) The Phantom Band

Album : Checkmate Savage

Track : Crocodile (Instrumental)

I don’t really remember why I downloaded this album but I am infinitely thankful to the thought that possessed me to do so. Another superb album. Tapers off a little in the end but the songs Crocodile and The Left Hand  Wave are the constants in my runners playlist.

7) Bill Callahan

Album : Somtimes I Wish I Were An Eagle

Track : Faith/Void

What a voice!! I love the singing style of Leonard Cohen and this guy fits the bill perfectly. Solid songs with amazing music and lyrics. I especially like this song which opens with “It’s Time To Put God Away”. (h/t to WBC)

6) We Were Promised Jetpacks

Album : These Four Walls

Track : It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning

I seem to be having some Scotland phase going on. This is the second band from Scotland that I totally in love with. The first one being Frightened Rabbit. I guess the Scots can really play the gloomy pop music that I love.

5) Wilco

Album : Wilco

Track : Bull Black Nova

What a great band!! Alternating from country, to blues, to downright guitar rock that will knock your socks off!! This band was so good that my 6 year old daughter, who usually snubs the music I listen, actually liked it!!(h/t to WBC)

4) The Clean

Album : Mister Pop

Track : Moonjumper

I listened to this album and did not really get it. But during a drive to work I put the album on and by the time Moonjumper started to play, I fell in love with the album. Psychedelic and pop mixed are one of my favourite styles of music. Throw in some solid guitar work and soothing lyrics and you have got yourself a winner! It would be interesting to go back to the older stuff.

3) Eels

Album : Hombre Lobo

Track : Prizefighter

For some reason I am in love with the lazy, hazy, droning vocals and music. I guess I can blame it on growing up with Indian classical music where the focus is on repetitiveness. Excellent music and superb lyrics.

2) Dan Mangan

Album : Nice, Nice, Very Nice

Tracks : Road Regrets

I an an avid fan of CBC Radio 3, a great platform for Indie artists, and have discovered awesome music listening to the podcast. One of the “finds” was Dan Mangan. When I first listened to his song (Road Regrets) to me it sounded so much like one hit wonder type of music. But I decided to try his album at least once and before I knew it, I was hooked to his music!! I liked the way he has mixed the music. There are pop songs, melancholy songs, rock songs and the album leaves you satisfied. Definitely an artist to watch out for.

1) The Pink Mountaintops

Album : Outside Love

Track : Axis: Thrones Of Love

Here is a band that epitomizes my love for music. Powerful lyrics touching all the forbidden/difficult human traits (love, sex, death, emotional pain). Music that has hazy, lazy guitar that explode exactly when required. Vocals that growl and are right on pitch with the claustrophobic music. Back up musicians who know exactly when to play and when to stop. This band has it all. I have listened to their older stuff and to the music from their alternate band The Black Mountains, and this “side project” is way more powerful than anything they have done so far. Outside Love is ultimately an album about Love and Hate and it’s consequences on you. By far the best album of 2009!!

You can listen to the tracks here (unfortunately, I could not get the order right)

I had heard of this band before and knew they were an influence on Slayer and Metallica but that was about it. I never really gave much thought to them because I was concentrating on the big names (Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Anthrax etc.)

So, when Will recommended Story Of Anvil, I thought, since I like VH1 documentaries, I would give this whirl. And oh boy, did I whirl!!!

The documentary is an amazing story of perseverance and friendship and a strong belief in yourself and your abilities.  There are highs and lows. I mean you feel so sorry for the band as they play in front of 5 people in a club in a basement somewhere in Bulgaria! And how their peers basically ignored them at some festival even though Lips knew details of how they met 30 years ago! Another low point, some of their own family dismisses them as has been and dreamers.

The highs include how some of their own family comes through for their passion with their own resources in spite of 30 years of bottom-scrapping. Bought tears to my eyes. And then there was the moment the strong friendship between “Lips” Kudlow and Rob Riener is put on display. Lips is explaining how he wants to become a rock star and would do it because it would be so much easier to jump off the cliff and at this point Rob, who has been nodding his head all along suddenly says nonchalantly “no you wouldn’t. I would stop you.” I would stop you. Wow! If that is not friendship then I do not know what is.

Watch the trailer.

A few negative points.

Spinal Tap was everywhere in this movie. That’s what the story was…..a band that almost made it to the top but never could and just as they were about to give up, they make it big in Japan. That’s Spinal Tap AND The Story Of Anvil. Having said that, Anvil actually went through the low and high points where as Spinal Tap was just a movie. Also, I could not help but feel the director (the screenwriter for The Terminal – Sacha Gervasi) added a few syrupy moments at the end just to give the movie a happy closure.

But on the whole, highly recommended and you do not have to be a metal fan to like this movie as the music is in the background, it’s the passion for the music that is the story.

So, I found this site through stumbliing (what did people do on the internet before stumbling?) called 8tracks.com. This site presents itself as internet radio managed by you, the user. You essentially create lists of songs you like and then broadcast it to the world. That’s it.

As with every technology in the world, the ones that do well are the ones that are simple and intutive. You upload songs from your computer and then start mixing them up and create lists. If you like a certain mix by another user, leave a comment, follow that person’s mixes, or click on “next mix” and the site is intelligent enough to present you with a similar mix. Simple as ABC. There are numerous categories for you to choose from. And if you really like some music (e.g. I found I love CocoRosie‘s music), there is a link to amazon and you can purchase your music.

As per their Legal  page, their site works because the bitchy organisation called RIAA (and it’s counterpart in Canada called CRIA) is paid for each song uploaded and played on the site. Which is probably why RIAA has not issued takedown orders to 8Tracks. (note : Isn’t it funny, RIAA does not care where the song originated. (I may have downloaded it ileagally and uploaded to 8tracks.com) But because RIAA gets paid, they say “aw shucks”).

Anyway, there are restrictions. Only 2 songs from one album and you cannot skip songs more twice on a mix which I think is fair. If I create a mix, please listen to it and don’t skip over and over every song. If you think the mix is not good, just skip to the next mix.

The things I like about this site it how easy it is to find music of your taste. All I had to was to click on my desired categorise and off I went. And I did create a couple of mixes for your listening pleasure (you do not have to sign on to listen – that’s another amazing part!!). Here are the lists. Hope you like them :

Why Indie Music Is Awesome!

Indie Music For Your Pensive Mood

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Before he signs a new band to his independent music label, Franz Schuller usually gives aspiring musicians bad news: They’re probably not going to be famous. This bitter pill is briskly followed by another: “Whatever they think they knew about the music industry from what they’ve heard, or read, or seen on television, that really doesn’t exist any more,” says Mr. Schuller. “It’s really, really hard for artists out there now. It’s an insanely huge challenge to actually make a decent living playing music these days. That’s the reality.”

Ok, I do not know much about the music industry but right away this statement by a music industry insider put me off. If this is true then all the musicians are doomed and it’s the end of the indie music industry and we will all be listening to manufactured pop from the major labels from now.

But wait. Is that what’s really happening? No. We consumers of indie music are not being forced to listen to manufactured music at all. There are tonnes and tonnes of choices of indie musicians who are  creating superb music. I am a child of the 90s but I can say without any doubt in my mind that the indie music scene at the moment has been the best EVER.

Schuller thinks that bands will never make it in the real world.

“For all the massive opportunity that the Internet and mobile phones and devices give us by reaching millions and millions of people, there’s also a gazillion bands. It’s really hard to get noticed or to get anyone’s attention,” says Mr. Schuller. “It’s allowed people with absolutely no business competing in the same space to complicate the careers of people who do have a lot of talent. There’s way, way too much stuff out there.”

So, the reason you are not making money because untalented people are taking up your space??? What the fuck? That is one of the crappiest statements I have ever heard. You will get noticed if you are good and if you think you are destined to be famous then tap on the shoulder of your management not the technology. No one is asking you to be a technology genius. Just be smart about how to connect to people. If you can’t do it, ask your friends, family, your fans or just google it. I cannot believe that the reason why you are not successful is because you think someone else it taking up your space. What nonsense.

And then there is this :

This rings true for Tim Baker, lead singer of the burgeoning Newfoundland-based band Hey Rosetta!, which made the shortlist for this year’s Polaris Prize. As social networking technologies grow more popular, bands are put under pressure to communicate with their fans in a way that didn’t exist a decade ago.

“I just want to create a clone who actually enjoys being online,” he says with a laugh. “What a band is historically supposed to do is tour, and write music and put on shows. When you get home, your time off is actually way more work than being on the road.”

Again. What nonsense. If you do not like to spend time on line – Don’t. Please. Spare us.

Just make sure your music is easily accessible (iTunes, emusic, amazon) and put up shows in different parts of the country to stay in touch with your fans. Stay away from Twitter and facebook if it bugs you so much. I want to hear your music and I will pay for it and your shows/t-shirts. I do not want to hear about your life. I have no interest in it.

I think that’s what bugs some of the musicians these days. Gone are the days where a musician could define a fan, now it’s the fan who defines a musician.The fan decides what he/she wants to hear, what he/she wants to share and what he/she wants to spend money on. The musician should focus on what they do best, play music and leave the business of making money to the quality of their music.

Watch this video to learn the business model of the new music industry.

Sonic Youth!!!!!! Man, they sound great. Can’t wait to catch them live on the 30th!!

One of the issues that lights me up is the issue of file sharing. I am one of those who believes that file sharing is essential to the music business and it should be incorporated in the business models of today’s music businesses. I know that quite a few bands have tried file sharing with varying degrees of success. Here is a perspective from an insider :

My observation is based on a lot of trying and failing, as well as being a moderate user of filesharing myself — mainly to check out stuff I read about but cannot get my hands on in the local store back here in Norway.

My concern is about this argument, which has been seen in most any debate about this subject for the last 10 years, usually formulated roughly as below:

“Filesharing will provide massive marketing to new artists, and drive forward a new and more dynamic music market.”

I beg to differ.

Well, I think he gets it wrong right away.

Filesharing is not an outlet to massively increase the sales of a new artist at all. Filesharing is conduit for the new artist to introduce themselves to the world who would, normally, ignore the new artist because of prohibitive initial costs. Why in the world would I spend money on downloading songs from a new artist only to find out that it was money wasted? I would rather (and I often do) download songs, give them a listen and then pay a subscription fee. Not only that but the next time the artist releases their new album, I do not go to the filesharing sites at all and download their music right away.

I think the authour of the post is disappointed for some other reason :

But if one starts thinking about it, it has the ironic effect that TPB is a driving force of consolidating the market power of the major labels rather than driving forward any new music. The conclusion has to be that “pirates” are just as little resistant to the major label marketing as any other person. Even though there are thousands and thousands of artists out there that want their music to be shared and listened to, they are widely and effectively ignored by the masses

Well, of course the popular artists will get a larger share of the downloads. The popular music is heavily promoted by major labels and get more airplay than a small upcoming artist. It almost seems like that the authour of the post has assumed that the downloaders should download only new artists’ music, else they are “pirating” the music promoted by the major labels. That is just plain nonsense.  Here is an enlightening article on why the music industry is in the crapper. In other words, don’t agree to whatever the music/movie industry says. Quite a lot that they say is absolute shit.

The fact of the matter is that the business model that has worked so successfully for the labels/artists over the years is now in disarray because of the power of the end user. The future of music, as illustrated here, is “get to know the consumers needs and then make money out of it”…..and not shove the product down their throats whether they like it or not.

Those days are over and done with.

Update (21st April 2009) : Yup. Music piracy is a REALLY bad thing.

Oh Lars, see? How easy it was to download something you created and payed for? I have all the first 5 albums on CDs of your band but ever since my daughter was born, I have had to move all my guy stuff to the basement. So, to avoid digging up the albums for some project (new iPod, making a collection of songs for my car), I do what’s easiest. I download your music using torrents. I know you think it’s illeagal but if you come knocking on my door and try and arrest me, I will produce the copies I already paid you for…….so please join us common folk. We really do not steal.

We borrow and propogate your music.

BTW, I am glad you have moved you concert in Toronto into ACC. The last time you were here you and you band members performed in the Roger’s Centre, I could barely see you and had to stick to watching you drum on monitors which I could have easily done at my home. See you in October!!

This guy totally deserves it. His music is sublime and very emotive. This is from the film Bombay

Here is another example

and this has a special place in all dance floors!!

and who can forget his patriotism raising song Maa Tujhe Salaam?

Congrats Rahman!!!!

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

In another sign of the music industry’s recently announced retreat from a five-year-old antipiracy strategy, the Recording Industry Association of America has dumped the company it used to help it gather evidence for mass lawsuits it filed against people it claimed were illegally uploading copyrighted music. The RIAA long used a company called MediaSentry to troll the Internet in search of people who uploaded large amounts of music.

This company was responsible for:

Is Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG ‘investigator’ MediaSentry operating illegally in your state?

The Massachusetts State police have already banned the company, it’s been accused of operating without a licence in Oregon, Florida, Texas and New York, and now similar charges have been levelled at it in Michigan.

A complaint was filed by a Recording Industry vs The People reader with the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Growth resulting in confirmation that MediaSentry has no official authorisation to carry out so-called ‘investigations’ there.

“We encourage parties to pursue complaints against unlicensed parties and the local prosecutor,” says the response.

“The prosecutor can prosecute these cases as felonies, with a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and/or up to four years in prison.”

The Big 4 and their RIAA are already on very shaky ground with MediaSentry.

Not to change the topic but the subject, I am not a big fan of illegal downloads but I still do it.

I recently downloaded the new Guns & Roses album and gave it a listen before deciding if I want to buy it from a store or not. Thank god I gave it a listen before I purchased it. It would have been a waste of money. In the meantime, I downloaded Beck’s Modern Guilt and loved it!! I then downloaded it legally from amazon.

The music industry is really in doldrums as far their current business model is concerned. They really need to ramp up this digital presence in a way that does not seem like we the customers are being screwed out of our money.

Loud

Very, very loud.

And bright.

I was prepared for the concert (after reading a few blog posts) but nothing, I repeat, nothing could have prepared me for the wall of sound that almost swept me off my feet. I mean which concert have been to where you are handed ear plugs? The band literally bludgeoned their audience into submission. The guy in front of me left after a couple of songs; the person I was with was overwhelmed with the sound and crowd; I saw a couple of audiences hiding behind the pillars holding on to their ears or covering their eyes.

It was very, very loud.

And bright.

I had to leave early because of the afore mentioned friend, but I caught enough of the show to know that it was very good. There was really no need for mics as you could barely hear the words (all I heard was soft whispering from Bilinda and Kevin).  In fact just as Come In Alone started, Kevin stopped playing and asked his crew why he couldn’t hear himself. And you could hear everyone in the crowd saying,”neither can we”.

It was very, very loud.

And bright.

I really liked the psychedelic light show which went very well with the whole sound. And just like the sound, the light show was jarring on the eyes. I tried taking a few pictures but it was a futile effort. Either it was too dark or too bright. When the strobes were flashing, most of us could not help but cover our eyes.

It was very, very loud.

And bright.

I used the ear plugs for a couple of songs as the songs sounded quite incoherent. But ear plugs would not really give the listener the complete “picture”. When I put the ear plugs on, I could not really hear the guitar noise very well. And that’s the whole point of going to a MBV concert…..listen to the noise. But they did come in handy because, my poor ears could only take so much of the wall of sound.

Another thing about last night was the opening acts. The first one was Flowers Of Hell. And they were really good. It was only this morning I read that Tindersticks (a band I really like) has played some part in Flowers. Needless to say that since morning I am trying to find a site that will let me download Flowers albums. The other was J (?) Haze (I think – I was not really paying attention). But her songs were quite good. She was supported by another guitarist who would start the song with a smiple chord and end it with a burst of noise. Again, I was really impressed.

I probably will update this post when I remember some other aspect of the show. In the meantime, enjoy this :