Random music thoughts

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

This is just fucking precious. Pitchfork on, swear to god, "The Unbearable Whiteness of Indie."

 

 

In indie rock, white is the norm. While indie rock and the DIY underground, historically, have been proud to disassociate themselves from popular culture, there is no divorcing a predominantly white scene from systemic ideals ingrained in white Western culture. That status quo creates a barrier in terms of both the sanctioned participation of artists of color and the amount of respect afforded them, all of which sets people of color up to forever be seen as interlopers and outsiders. Whiteness is the very ideal for which art is made in Western culture, be it the cinema of Wes Anderson or, say, the artists on Merge Records.

 

 

White art additionally dilutes and flattens aspects of other cultures' music that it adopts in the process of making them more "accessible" for those whose curiosity does not extend beyond the parameters of Europe and North America. White "ambassadors" decide what parts of these musics of cultures get to filter through based on white notions of what is good, or real or what ethnomusical practices appeal to an American sense of authenticity (see also: Diplo).

 

IF ONLY THERE WAS SOMETHING PITCHFORK COULD HAVE DONE ABOUT THIS.

WHAT A SHAME THAT THEY ARE COMPLETELY BEHOLDEN TO BIG WHITE.

 

I mean all seriousness this is probably a newer writer venting but good lord that is some "pot calling the kettle privileged" shit there.

[JRGoldman]

Pitchfork is the worst. I am constantly flummoxed that people over the age of 20 use it. I thought it was this thing that you discover in your teens and then outgrow when you realize they are pretentious and terrible. I saw Swans last night and it was amazing how many people were there simply because Pitchfork liked To Be Kind. I realize how much of a hipster I sound like when I say "I liked Swans before it was cool", but it was a bizarre thing to see a bunch of grown ass people and old goths milling around uncomfortably while surrounded by 25 year old kids trying to look as much like Zooey Deschanel as possible. 

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

I mean, they deserve some credit for turning "bad album reviews with no comment section" into being a major fashion guide. It's a neat trick. But yeah, fuck 'em.

[The Comedian]

 

Hard to believe its been 20 years since Eazy died...

[Death From Above]

Can we also talk about how white America's self-loathing is the most embarrassing fucking neoliberal nonsense in the history of American embarrassing fucking neoliberal nonsense? There's a line between tolerance for people that are different from you, and this bizarre modern fascist push where anyone that tries to adapt anything to their own uses is suddenly part of an INVISIBLE MACHINE that must be crushed as some symbol of evil and it's ridiculous and awful. I get that this entire thing has formed out of the best of intentions but it's now gotten so far off the mark that in a lot of cases it's become counter-productive and is doing at least as much harm as good, and it seems inevitable that it will have to swing back towards a more rationalistic position in the next few years. When people are backhandedly implying that Wes Anderson is some sort of symbol of white oppression, I'm going to be concerned for their wellbeing.

 

Anyway.

 

Pitchfork is probably at least partially to blame for that too, mind you. Loathsome place.

 

Swans are like modern Woodstock. For every person that was actually there (before the 2010's) 100 claim they were. I was not one of them. My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky was the first time they entered my field of vision seriously. Good band though. Love their stuff, as dark as it is. I also sort of prefer To Be Kind as a total album to The Seer, though the best parts of The Seer are better. But at least the 30 minute cut on To Be Kind doesn't have a 15 minute period where absolutely nothing happens, so I consider that progress.

[The Comedian]

Can we also talk about how white America's self-loathing is the most embarrassing fucking neoliberal nonsense in the history of American embarrassing fucking neoliberal nonsense? There's a line between tolerance for people that are different from you, and this bizarre modern fascist push where anyone that tries to adapt anything to their own uses is suddenly part of an INVISIBLE MACHINE that must be crushed as some symbol of evil and it's ridiculous and awful. I get that this entire thing has formed out of the best of intentions but it's now gotten so far off the mark that in a lot of cases it's become counter-productive and is doing at least as much harm as good, and it seems inevitable that it will have to swing back towards a more rationalistic position in the next few years. When people are backhandedly implying that Wes Anderson is some sort of symbol of white oppression, I'm going to be concerned for their wellbeing.

 

Well dude I been saying for a while now that the War on Bigotry is the Democrats' version of the War on Terror. To keep it music-related, look at the bullshit Ani DiFranco went through a couple years ago when she had to issue multiple apologies after people bitched that the land she was gonna hold a music seminar on was a former plantation. I mean, if you can't do anything on land that was once used by slavers, I got news for you: there's a whole hell of a lot of land in the US that can't ever be used again.

 

Really though it's all a part of our obsession with extremism. Some people see the KKK's and Westboro Baptists and other assorted shitbags out there, and instead of dealing with it rationally, they go to the opposite extreme and become bigot-shaming witchhunters. They're the kind of people Cracked.com is aimed at these days.

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

I dunno. the way I observe it in white crowds is just generational divide, and now that communication is easier there's a chance that the voices you turn to are minority voices. Like most of the white dudes I know who are politically active and aggro like that are deferring to the people being shit on by the system and spreading that. And I understand where that anger comes from for sure. Like for the most part our US History education curriculum is basically Propaganda Surprise, and the Surprise is It's Propaganda. And then you look around your town and see most people never got to The Surprise and it's enough to drive you a little batty. I'm cautious of anything zealous, but I absolutely understand why you'd find a breaking point when confronted with all that.

 

I would disagree with self-loathing though, at least among youth. Like even though there's a LOOOOOOOOOOT of witchhunty tendencies, what governs it is the idea that Something Can Be Done About It. That is at least citizen participation in the government, and I'm never going to discourage that. What worries me is inability to talk to the other side in good faith. Like, I understand shutting down people demanding you explain shit that is easy to find out for yourself, but... one of my best friends is a dude who's first impulse during the Ferguson stuff was to join the sherrif's department (because it was bad policework and he thinks he could help). I had a few friends younger than me not understand how that's not a dealbreaker for me. Then again, I have a real peculiar friend group. I don't get along with people my age well at all.

 

I just don't want people to hurt. I'm on whatever side that is.

 

As to how that relates to music, I've long thought that rock bands using like sitars and shit is corny as fuck. But my response to being confronted with corny shit is to listen to shit that isn't corny, or make shit that isn't corny like that (I'm sure it is in some way that's not apparent to me yet, but, I'm trying). Abolish corny shit by not buying it and making better shit. But like it's easier to get western attention with criticism than praise. That's one I don't understand yet.

[Brian Fowler]

Oh come on, the rise of sitar in Western music was fucking awesome and needs a comeback.

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

still cant believe fucking paint it black won that fucking song tournament

[Brian Fowler]

It didn't, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay did.

 

 

(Paint it Black is awesome though.  Not as awesome as some of the sitar stuff Harrison did, especially after really studying it, of course...)

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

still cant believe i have early onset alzheimers

[Control]

Can we also talk about how white America's self-loathing is the most embarrassing fucking neoliberal nonsense in the history of American embarrassing fucking neoliberal nonsense? There's a line between tolerance for people that are different from you, and this bizarre modern fascist push where anyone that tries to adapt anything to their own uses is suddenly part of an INVISIBLE MACHINE that must be crushed as some symbol of evil and it's ridiculous and awful. I get that this entire thing has formed out of the best of intentions but it's now gotten so far off the mark that in a lot of cases it's become counter-productive and is doing at least as much harm as good, and it seems inevitable that it will have to swing back towards a more rationalistic position in the next few years. When people are backhandedly implying that Wes Anderson is some sort of symbol of white oppression, I'm going to be concerned for their wellbeing.

 

 

Wait, what does "neoliberal" mean in this context?

 

I like Pitchfork, but I've never read any of its content. I just use it as a jukebox for new music.

[supremebve]

I think the problem with the article and the whole "neo-liberal" way of looking at racism is that it focuses on places where racism is a minor issue while completely ignoring the places where racism is a major issue.  The issue with racism within the music industry is how music by minorities is marginalized and treated as disposable.  The issue isn't that there is a problem with racism in Indy-rock; the problem is that there is racism when it comes to a black artist making music that is not hip-hop or hip-hop inspired R&B.  Are we supposed to believe that black people stopped playing instruments, singing love ballads, or doing anything that isn't inspired by growing up in the ghetto? 

 

Urban radio used to be an outlet for all black artists to get exposure, but it has devolved into a place where only artists in the top-40 get air time.  BET and to a lesser extent MTV used to be a place where new artists could catch on and find success.  Does anyone remember the first time they watched Master P's "Bout it Bout it" video?  Master P was a guy who created a hip-hop label with money he received from an insurance payment.  "Bout it Bout it" was filmed on location in the housing project he grew up in.  It looked and felt different than everything else that was on TV at the time, and it caught fire to the point where Master P's No Limit Records became a huge success.  It was a completely organic thing that grew from a system that was designed to give all artists an outlet.  Those outlets have closed and we've got to a point where all the outlets are actively exclusionary.  If a black dude picks up a guitar, he will not get play on urban radio, won't get shown on BET, and thus will be ignored by the masses. 

 

There is also an issue with black music being treated as disposable.  There are essentially two types of urban radio stations, the top-40 hip-hop R&B stations and the urban adult contemporary stations.  There are plenty of classic rock stations where artists can continue to get air time that enables them to continue touring and performing after they stop cranking out the hits.  Do you guys remember Big Daddy Kane?  Remember when he was one of the best rappers in the world?  When was the last time you heard a Big Daddy Kane song on terrestrial radio?  When was the last time you heard a Public Enemy song? Ice Cube? De La Soul? KRS-One?  Our media culture ignores black artists as soon as they aren't producing hits.  The only classic hip-hop station I know of is Backspin on XM/Sirius and as a 33-year-old I find myself listening to it much more than the current hip-hop stations.  The vast majority of people who listen to the radio are people who are going to or coming from work.  Do you guys remember how big hip-hop was in the 90s?  Those people who were listening to that music as teenagers are now becoming the bulk of the workforce.  When I was in high school all of my friends white, black, or otherwise listened to at least some hip-hop.  I know where I can listen to Pearl Jam, but I have no clue where to listen to A Tribe Called Quest.

 

The article isn't really wrong, but is looking at a single genre of music and asking where are the black people, when they should be looking at the entire industry and asking why only these black people?

[SolidGoldBomb]

SO where did all the black guitar players/rockers go?  How has it gone from some of the best guitar players ever like Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, BB King, Bo Diddley etc starting all new genres of blues & rock.... to no new black guitar players in the last decade plus.  We had greats like Jimi, Marley, Clinton & Bootsy Collins in the 70s.  Prince, Randy Jackson in the 80s.  Slash, Lenny Kravitz & Tom Morello in the 90s.  Then....  I can't think of any who have made a name for themselves in rock this millennium (the last 15-20 years).  Maybe most black kids today just aren't into rock and guitars.  I think it's a double sided thing, part of it is society constantly reinforces that black people should only act like the popular artists in the rap culture, since that's what they can most easily make money at.  And part of it is that black people don't support anything other than rap/r&b monetarily, so there's no real incentive to push black rockers since it most likely won't be profitable unless they are superstars like Hendrix etc.  Half of the problem is unrestrained capitalism dictating the market, half of the problem is the current cultural cesspool and the lack of creativity outside the norm.  And even if another Lenny Kravitz or Chuck Berry came along, do you think they would get more support from the white community or the black community?

[supremebve]

SO where did all the black guitar players/rockers go?  How has it gone from some of the best guitar players ever like Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, BB King, Bo Diddley etc starting all new genres of blues & rock.... to no new black guitar players in the last decade plus.  We had greats like Jimi, & Bootsy Collins in the 70s.  Prince in the 80s.  Slash & Lenny Kravitz in the 90s.  Then....  I can't think of any who have made a name for themselves in rock this millennium (the last 15-20 years).  Maybe most black kids today just aren't into rock and guitars.  I think it's a double sided thing, part of it is society constantly reinforces that black people should only act like the popular artists in the rap culture, since that's what they can most easily make money at.  And part of it is that black people don't support anything other than rap/r&b monetarily, so there's no real incentive to push black rockers since it most likely won't be profitable unless they are superstars like Hendrix etc.  Half of the problem is unrestrained capitalism dictating the market, half of the problem is the current cultural cesspool and the lack of creativity outside the norm.  And even if another Lenny Kravitz or Chuck Berry came along, do you think they would get more support from the white community or the black community?

I honestly don't know the answers to any of those questions, but it doesn't help that almost all of the radio/television broadcasters are part of some larger corporate conglomerate that seems to only care about the monetary relevance of music and no interest in the cultural relevance.  There are plenty of black musicians that work clubs and jazz bars throughout the country.  My uncle used to own a bar in Cleveland and was telling me about how he didn't want to pay ASCAP for playing music.  So he bought an ad in the paper for local musicians to come play and he couldn't believe how many bands showed up.  I went one night and the band was ridiculously good.  They were all mid-20s to 30s and could play multiple styles.  They actually did a section of their show that was essentially like a hip-hop mix except they played all the breaks and transitions instead of a DJ using turntables and a cross-fader.  The issue is that we don't know whether or not these guys could be profitable artists, because there is really nowhere to listen to that type of music. 

 

I remember when Viacom bought BET, De La Soul put out a single and realized they weren't getting any airplay.  They contacted someone at BET and were told that BET weren't in the business of breaking new artists.  De La Soul had been around for a decade and their music had always been played on BET.  The new management didn't know, nor care about their career or how BET was a huge outlet for them.  They just knew they didn't know who they were.  Dame Dash, who is a crazy person, has been going around talking about culture vultures for the last year or two.  When I first heard him talking about it I thought he was a nutjob and probably racist.  Then he went on the Combat Jack show and actually explained what he was talking about.  The general point he was trying to make was that the people who control the outlets that black music/culture are viewed are not from and do not understand the culture.  He was saying how it is a problem that people who are outside hip-hop culture to have a say in what should or should not be presented as hip-hop culture.  Him just yelling these dudes are culture vultures on the internet didn't get his point across, but when he actually sat down and explained what he was saying he had a really good point.  There was a time where black music and culture was presented much more broadly, because the people presenting it were more invested in the culture.  It's kind of like Warren Buffet says, you work much harder if you have some skin in the game.  All of the outlets are owned by the same 2 or 3 parent corporations who are much more interested in profiting off of a culture than they are in preserving or advancing a culture. 

[SolidGoldBomb]

Yeah I think you hit the nail on the head there, it's capitalism and corporate record labels pushing their agenda and profits at the expense of culture.  Hopefully we will get to a point where record labels will be put out of business by internet streaming and the free market making all kinds of music more available, but it seems those 2 or 3 media conglomerates have their hands in every new distribution avenue as well.  And unfortunately the youth today would rather keep emulating the worst parts of the current culture (since that's all they know today) and post that on WSHH or DatPiff for the world to see, instead of emulating some Little Richard or something. 

 

Now would be a good time for an indy label or internet marketing company to test the theory though, and try and promote more diverse rock and see if it's commercially viable.

 

Rap especially is becoming quite the downward spiral of creativity the last decade as well, where are the BDK's, the PE's, the ATCQ, the KRS1's & the De La Soul's of this generation?  There's still good stuff here and there like The Roots, Kendrick, Action Bronson, Run The Jewels, 3-6 & Juicy J and some artists I still enjoy...but man so much of today's rap seems like it's just cannibalizing itself. 

 

And wisdom from Dame Dash...I guess he does have some good points once you can get past his recent gimmick of being insane.

#tweetlikedamedash

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

Rap especially is becoming quite the downward spiral of creativity the last decade as well, where are the BDK's, the PE's, the ATCQ, the KRS1's & the De La Soul's of this generation?  

 

 

[Brian Fowler]

No joke, Kendrick Lamar is the answer too, while also being the banging club star.

[JRGoldman]

The new Mountain Goats album is streaming on NPR.

[Travis Sheldon]

The new The Prodigy album, The Day is My Enemy, is fantastic.

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

Young Fathers have new music, and it is way more intense than I even thought it would be, given, you know, the title and cover of the record.

 

 

Stream here.

 

also this was the single.

 

[Randy]

I've been loving "Rain or Shine" since I first heard it.  I'll have to give the whole album a listen.

 

edit:  Upon the first listen, my favorite songs are John Doe, Dare Me, and Sirens.

[Roman]

Sweet Lord.

 

[Niners Fan in CT]

Y'all can always listen to Wale's new shit The Album About Nothing which yes Seinfeld is on it. 

 

[cool arrow]

If you've ever watched the end credits of Three's Company and been baffled by the fact that Ray Charles sang the theme song, well, it was The Other Ray Charles (capitalized because that's how he sometimes billed himself).  Anyway he passed away a couple days ago at the ripe old age of 96.

 

http://variety.com/2015/legit/news/ray-charles-leader-of-ray-charles-singers-who-backed-perry-como-dies-at-96-1201467922/