What music have you been listening to this past week?

I was shocked when I saw this Waxahatchee record ranked so high on Pitchfork’s 2020 year end best list. I had listened to it superficially and thought it was just above-average singer songwriter stuff. But I’ve found since that every time I listen to it, I like it more. And I’ve listened to it a lot. It’s as if it masquerades as merely pleasant folky pop, but if you listen beneath the surface, the depth and richness are almost boundless. I recommend this episode of the podcast Song Exploder about the song “Fire,” which might be my favorite song from the past year:

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These years are like going home for me. This was the soundtrack of my transition from child to young adult. It was difficult to understand why anyone would want to listen to the absurd self parody that 80s rock had become by then. In retrospect it’s easy to see the hand of the labels in choosing bands that were “more”, and asking bands to amplify what had sold. Regardless it helped turn them into one dimensional jokes with nothing but a new power ballad. At the time it was clear that that was from a different world than the one I lived in. It was not honest music.

I’ve never thought “grunge” was a useful descriptor in anyway other than as shorthand for a thing that happened. Alternative seems like a more apt description. R.E.M. and all the college rock darlings, (Camper Van Beethoven being my personal favorite), The SubPop bands, and the last gasps of the punk DIY bands (Fugazi came through and played at least 8 times in Washington and Oregon between 91 and 93) just seemed so much more real than a sequined clown telling me to jump.

As for Radiohead, I’d argue they overcame the labels desire for them to sound like anyone else very quickly. This is probably why Pablo Honey is my least favorite album, as it is either them trying to be someone else, or them not knowing who they are yet. This is a bummer for people that liked Creep, as there is really only one album from that band. If you catch me in a mean mood, home with a sick kid and a little tired from staying up too late listening to music, I might say the people that liked Creep should check out Coldplay, since Coldplay really wishes they had written Pablo Honey.*

* Like Oasis wishes the had written Revolver

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[You likely know all this…but oh well…]

The commercial packaging of artists worked until the Internet and MP3s (circa 2000) because of the prior limited distribution options: a handful of major record companies, and every city had about half a dozen genre radio stations (i.e., Urban Contemporary, Mainstream Pop, Rock, Adult Contemporary, Country, and Easy Listening Elevator Music). Those stations could play about 10 songs per hour, and repeated every 3 hours or so. Maybe 30 artists on each playlist had any serious exposure or chance of success. Anyone on the list could be made to sell a million records.

Classical, Jazz, and College Rock were relegated to the no-ads, no-profit stations on the “Left of the Dial.” See The Replacement’s song of the same title. College rock was initially called “progressive rock” – but nothing at all like 1970s quasi-Classical progressive rock (e.g., Rush, Yes, King Crimson). Alternative became a catch-all name for everything from punk to Sonic Youth to Bjork to The Smiths to Primus. In the 1990s Alternative became Grunge and non-metal rock only, with females largely disappearing. Now, much later, many ascribe acoustic and art-oriented pop to the “Indie” genre. It’s not a great category either.

Radiohead and Creep: I see that song as following in the quiet-loud format after a ton of orchestral music, Broadway show tunes, and movie musicals. It was popularized in rock and roll by Led Zeppelin’s numerous quiet folky songs that went bonkers half way through. Much later, the Pixies (1987 to 1988) brought quiet-loud duets to the Alternative umbrella, got ripped off by Nirvana (1991), and then quickly turned into Creep. Rather than Coldplay, I see Linkin Park making big, big, big money by turning sharp contrast duets and the broad Creep formula into commercial mainstream pop.

Coldplay: I don’t hate their earlier work for what it is. It’s melody driven in the spirit of the Beatles, and roundly inoffensive. Oasis too. I sometimes had Coldplay on when working as non-distracting background music. Nothing more. Their later stuff…not so much…

To my ears Oasis and Blur are the pop offspring of the Stone Roses and Jesus and Mary Chain. They were all British bands, and Blur later became Gorillaz (as either a new thing, or return of the Vaudeville Variety Show). Creative pioneers routinely get ripped off by easily digested mainstream editions.

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Musical genres: either so broad they are useless, or so narrow they are useless.

It’s the circle of product. unknown → edge user → mainstream

There is a part of me waiting for the same cycle in film, as a response to the non stop superhero glam we’ve been consuming for the last ten years. We could use a revolution.

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This is precisely the humor that Frank Zappa loved to exploit! Beef Pies! Walking by the Pies! Walking by the Pies! Root oot DOO do doo!

This is a real treat! Cover available only on YouTube, way better than the original. The Arnel Pineda fangirl I married pointed it out to me. Arnel of course sings.
Joel Hoekstra on Guitar (from Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Billy Sheehan on Bass (David Lee Roth, Niacin, others)
Van Romaine - Drums (his own band - top latin drummer)
Ollie Marland - Keys/B-vox (various bands, Tina Turner, others)
Lenny Castro - Percussion (Toto, Little Feat, others)

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Scott Mulvahill - Fighting for the Wrong Side

Wow…thanks for this. 100% right IMO …way better than the original. Those vocals right after the first solos…wow. The whole thing is great, fun jam. Just wish Hoekstra would blink or wear sunglasses or something cuz he’s staring into my soul and I don’t like it.

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Thank you! (you should publish your band camp list here with listening notes and summaries for those of us learning about this music!)

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Thanks to you.
Last two weeks have been a mess between new releases, mastering works and Bandcamp Friday but I hope this will help.


This has been released for Lucier’s 90th birthday (today).
I had the honour of working on it and I’m very happy with the results.


Glass opened yesterday an official page on Bandcamp so I believe many others thing will come with time on this platform.

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Worth checking this page too.
Eric La Casa is a dear friend, a wonderful person and a great musician.

His voice tho. :heart_eyes:

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Grammy-award winning Jacob Collier

Jacob Collier - Time Alone With You ft. Daniel Caesar - YouTube

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Its exactly what you think it is.

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