this is the soundtrack to your life...

...or at least it's the Gap soundtrack.

I think I'm actually going to start posting names of the songs and artists I really like from the Gap Soundtrack. That's one motivation to keep my job. The good music they play.

Most of it's not even mainstream. If it is, it's either old, the Gap heard it first, or EVERYONE'S favorite band (which just happens to make me hate them {i.e. The Killers, The Fray and Snow Patrol}).

Moving on...

Gap Soundtrack - June '07.

Chemistry of a Car Crash - Shiny Toy Guns
Stand Back - Stevie Nicks
Suffering for Fashion - Of Montreal
Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
Sunlight - Natalie Imbruglia
One Horse Town - The Thrills
I Spy - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
That's No Way To Tell A Lie - James Dean Bradfield
Lift Me Up - Moby
Relax (Take It Easy) - MIKA
I Don't Wanna Be in Love - Good Charlotte (I had no idea...)
Fidelity - Regina Spektor
Outside - Aqualung
I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got - Razorlight

And those were just the songs that I REALLY liked.

previous soundtracks included:
Brooklyn Stars - Matt Pond PA
Rainy Monday - Shiny Toy Guns
In Your Arms - Mylo
Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer
DARE - Gorillaz
Special - Mew
Naive - The Kooks
Sky is Open - The Long Winters
In the Snow - The Roman Numerals
Like Vines - The Hush Sound
Back in Black - AC/DC
This Charming Man - The Smiths
Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
Keep it Simple - Cobra Starship
Better - Regina Spektor
She Moves in Her Own Way - The Kooks
Annie - Guillemots

All that comes to mind at the moment. But there will always be more where that came from... As long as I keep working there.

Starts With One...

June 22, 2007. Baltimore, Maryland. Sonar. Shiny Toy Guns.

First off, happy birthday to my brother. This was his present, even though I wanted to go, too.

Currently situated in Delaware, I found myself on a road trip back to home sweet Baltimore. I still can’t navigate this city for the life of me, so in addition to traffic, we got pretty lost and ended up getting there a half hour late. For some reason, doors still hadn’t opened.

Sometimes, I get the strange feeling that Shiny Toy Guns are more trouble than they’re worth. Then you see them live and the show makes up for it tenfold. (Oh, and why do I get this feeling? Because four out of the six opportunities I’ve gotten to see them something came up on one of our parts and the show didn’t happen. Of the two shows that I did see, they were AMAZING.)

Well, somehow, even though we go there late and found ourselves around the corner of Sonar, we still managed to get in the second row. And after making friends with the girls in front of us, they made room so that I could be up front and my brother would be behind me. Shout out number two, to Sharpies_SmellGood and her girlfriend (who I accidentally forgot to learn their names, but maybe one day).

The Hourly Radio was the first band to play. They weren’t bad. Some songs sounded straight out of the 1980s. I liked them the best. Most of my attention was focused on bass and drums – maybe it was because they were the most prominently heard instruments, maybe not. The bassist, Tim Jansen was good. A lot of the lines were really simple, but others were pretty amazing. Drums were pretty good – I only remember one song well, and Vanderkolk played his heart out. I didn’t particularly like the vocals. Possibly because I couldn’t hear them, and when I could they sounded as if they were jumbled and really high pitched – kind of like a cracked out robot. The guitarist, Ryan Short, didn’t stand out to me at all.

They actually sound completely different on recording. Check out their myspace. The recordings aren’t bad.

Stars of Track and Field were fucking weird. I’m just going to put that out there. I only recorded one song, but one or two songs afterwards really weren’t bad. Honestly, that may not have been the best way to do things. Everyone around me was creeped out by the first two songs and immediately turned off. The lead guitarist was very drunk and my brother said he reminded him of the elf-man on the Starburst Berries and Cream commercial. Not a bad comparison if I may say so. Their lighting on some songs was enough to give a person a seizure. It wasn’t good.

The band performed with two guitarists, a drummer and a Macintosh Laptop. Their bassist “lives in a computer,” as the lead singer said. Why not just bring another person in to play bass? Why use a computer? I’m not sure how I feel about that.

As for their recordings the recording of Centuries is much more tolerable than the performance. Just a little less creepy. Almost pretty. But still weird. That was the song they opened with. With You might have been the third song they played. That one was actually really pretty. Albeit they were weird, but they did have some really pretty songs. I might actually pick up their album at some point when I have some money.

This is where I’m going to put a disclaimer. Before you go into a show, make sure you’re well hydrated and well fed. Otherwise you’re not gonna feel so hot. Take it from me I’ve learned it the hard way several times. Last night included.

“Shiny Toy Guns! Shiny Toy Guns!” Somehow chanting isn’t as epic when it’s a tiny venue. As the band set up, you could actually see drummer Mikey Martin backstage talking with one of the members of The Hourly Radio and smoking a cigarette. While we waited for the band to come out, my brother, the girls next to us and I sat down for a little “picnic.” Somehow I’d gotten really hot and couldn’t stand up (hence the disclaimer) and decided not to make it worse by standing and waiting. Set up took a bit and when the lights when out we were up and ready to go.

They look so different since I last saw them – except Carah. She pretty much looks the same. Chad looks like he hasn’t slept since I last saw them. Mikey’s lost a lot of weight. For some reason I feel like he had ‘chubby charm,’ or something, and that’s why I found him attractive… I’m not quite sure. And Jeremy has cut his hair. You can actually see his face. Well, Carah got more tattoos on her arms, but that doesn’t make her look any different.

Set List:
Starts With One
Jackie Will Save Us (Kennedy)
Rocketships
Stripped
Rainy Monday
Le Disko
Chemistry of a Car Crash
Don’t Cry Out
Encore
Shaken
You Are the One

Anyway, after a brief introduction, the concert started with Starts With One – one of the favorites, so there’s no complaining there. Followed by Jackie Will Save Me (Kennedy). Carah’s voice is stellar. She and Jeremy are so energetic.

After that, they played an old demo that I’d actually never heard before. Rocketships. It was epic! They followed with Stripped – a cover of the Depeche Mode song. Any way you hear it, it’s such a great song.

“Hey guys? Do you know what day it is today???” Friday? My brother’s birthday? No apparently it, it was a Rainy Monday. Silly Jeremy. He made me laugh. I like him. A lot. Afterwards, they played the song that is currently on the Gap soundtrack. Chemistry of a Car Crash. I still REALLY like that song.

Requests? Requests? The Weather Girl!!!! FREEBIRD!!!!!!!!! Chad won about 80 million points in my book for playing the beginning of Freebird. I knew I liked him for a reason. They actually started playing Don’t Cry Out a bit later and then left the stage.

The encore consisted of Shaken and You Are the One. Honestly, it wouldn’t be a Shiny Toy Guns show without You Are the One. Jeremy is my favorite person to watch during that song, for some reason, him kicking ass on the keyboards is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.

Jeremy was a lot more talkative than I remember him being. It was actually as if he was the front man of the band, which was really interesting. Carah Faye was all over the stage – interacting with everyone. She was great.

Aside from the music, the light show was AMAZING. I can’t even explain. But they certainly have gotten their lighting right.

Great, great, great show. Click around for goodies. (This is a test. The quality may not be amazing. But it's good enough for now.)

Artist Watch: Vera Mesmer

I was approached on MySpace by yet another artist - Vera Mesmer of the Boston area.

Self-described as "Rock / Pop / Alternative," Mesmer provides an arrary of what I might describe as "dark pop" songs.

Purpose keeps toes tapping. The song is essentially about a friends with benefits-type person (although, probably more along the lines of a "no strings attached" deal, with less friendship), asking the question, "Do you serve a purpose, do you?" The main guitar riff is fun, like I said, it keeps your toes tapping. The chorus shifts, but the beat is still the same.

I'd like to say here and now, that I LOVE You and I. First off, it's pretty. It enters with a single line of piano, after which it's repeated with piano, drums and strings (and I think that everyone knows that strings make a song about ten times prettier. ... except in the case of the version of Hey There, Delilah, by the Plain White Ts that they play on the radio, because acoustic guitar is completely good on it's own and the strings just stand out in a not so good way. ANYWAY...). It might just be me, but I completely related to this song, and I think a lot of others would, too. It's essentially about having to grow up and being afraid about it.

Room With a View was the first song I heard when I approached is site. Immediately I was turned on but the piano, of course. This song absolutely reminds me of Silverchair. Lyrically, the song is pretty cryptic. The piano isn't quite music-box-esque, but they've got a tone I've got yet to describe. The guitars are empowering, not overpowering, and the vocal harmonies aren't quite haunting, but the almost drone-like lower line adds 10 times of the power to that song.

The final song on his MySpace is Stranger. The riff at the beginning is almost Foo Fighters-eque. Piano cuts through and gives the intro character. The second verse enters with the same piano line from the intro, alone this time. The song keeps jumping, but all the transitions work. The lyrics are a little repetitive. That's what you get with a pop song though.

Vera's voice is really strong. His chest range is relatively large and he can control it. His head voice matches his chest voice and he's really easy to listen to. Like I mentioned before, he's very similar to Daniel Johns. And that's not a bad thing.

Vera's MySpace.

I recommend you stop by.

strong enough to write

A+ on my rock music paper.
I could have published this a month ago, but where would the fun be in that?

Anyway. It's on Hanson and their struggle with their record label.
I impressed some people. Maybe you'll be impressed, too.

Independence Over Majority: Facing the Music Business the Hard Way

Musicians are entertainers, business people, but first, they are artists. Putting musical notes, instruments and, in some cases, words together is their way of personal expression. Creating something that sells is not their main concern, whereas that is exactly what many major record labels are looking for. In 2001, Hanson faced this clash of interests and dealt with it by creating their own record label. As record labels work to package music that sells, recording artists seek new ways to release their music; this has always been a motivation for the “Indie Movement.”

It is generally assumed that it is a necessity for a musician to be on a major label to be promoted to and well-received by the public (Caves, 83). Although the labels are meant for musicians to produce their music, they are also businesses which have to make decisions for their own benefit. Many contracts are one-sided and typically to the advantage of the label (79).

Record labels primarily rely on radio to promote their artists. In 2004, it was still the top promoter of mainstream music (Hull, 184). Since popular songs get the most airplay, labels are pressured to produce something that will get played (231). This is the conflict. True musicians create music for the love of the art rather than the money and do not consider what would be likely to get played. “Art for art’s sake” is a phrase used to describe the fact that artists profit from doing something creative (Caves, 74). Labels take advantage of this through artists who accept money for making music the labels want rather than what they would like to create (74).

Musicians also have the right to choose the label that they would like to sign with – depending on the offers given. Whether they would like to be on a big label or a smaller one can sometimes be the same decision as whether they want to record their own music over recording a record that is guaranteed to sell (Hull, 144).

Before recording, artists are granted an advance, which includes royalties the album is expected to make (Caves, 79). The money given is to encourage the artist to record efficiently, rather than have the end result the way they would like it (79). In some cases, labels can decide to stop artists from recording if they find another that is more exciting, or they can decide not to record at all (Hull, 143).
Labels are responsible for obtaining master copies of musicians’ recordings and to market them (Hull, 121). Once received, they can choose to accept and promote them or reject and drop them from the label (145). Labels have proven to be conservative in choosing what to release and tend to follow what has been successful in the past (137). Should they choose to sell the album, the artist is then expected to release another, and the cycle begins (Caves, 79). The royalties that the album initially makes are set to cover the advance supplied to record and the artist only sees the royalties after the advance is covered (79).

Hanson, who achieved huge success in 1997 with their song “MMMBop” and their corresponding album Middle of Nowhere, was a victim of their record label. The recording process of their third album took over 40 months and involved over 80 songs (Greyson). If they had not stood up for what they wanted the album probably never would have been recorded.

Placed on Island Def Jam after the Big Six (conglomerate labels) merged into the Big Five, this was to be Hanson’s first record with the label (Boehlert). Jeff Fenster and other producers at Island Def Jam did not believe that the proposed songs for the album included a profitable single and continually delayed the band from recording (Greyson).

Displeased with the sales results of Hanson’s second album compared to those of their first, Fenster continued to dismiss their songs saying they did not have the “Hanson sound” (Greyson). It had been four years since the release of their first album; the boys had grown physically and mentally and they were each at different points in their lives. The band was going in another direction and as a result, their music was changing (Greyson). Dan Keyes, of Young Love, describes the change well, “It’s growing and changing. You don’t listen to the same music forever – as a musician, or artist, you don’t write the same music forever” (Keyes).

Looking back, drummer, Zac Hanson, said, “It was like we went from trying to make a record to trying to get a record made.” In the summer of 2001, Hanson had produced 23 songs, but, according to Fenster, none were good enough to be on the album (Greyson). Tired of the struggle they were facing with the label they decided to put their foot down. Two years after beginning the process of recording Underneath, they left Island Def Jam and formed their own independent label, 3CG Records (Greyson).

“We felt that 3CG was the right artistic decision for us,” Isaac Hanson said. “We just wanted to be in control of the way our content was delivered” (Dansby). They produced an album that probably never would have been released under the major label and debuted at number 25 on the Billboard charts (Greyson).

The effects of this struggle show in their album Underneath. “Strong Enough to Break,” with lyrics such as “just a figure in a monopoly game,” and “I start feeling the walls close in,” provided an outlet for how the industry made them feel (Hanson).

In addition to their label, Hanson created an organization supporting music and independent artists called “Are You Listening?” The website’s message reads, “Great music is out there and people are finding it. … It is time for us as fans of quality, choice and trust to step up and say ARE YOU LISTENING? ... We need to say it to radio, TV, press and record companies and also to bands, because they need to know you want music that speaks to you.” (AYL).

Indie rock has several definitions – some confining it to being an obscure artist, others describing it as music that is not produced on a major record label (Hibbett, 58). It is the musical counterpart to mainstream, and is all-inclusive when it comes to subgenres. Indies view mainstream production as music that “masks a lack of substance or artistic creativity” with technology and what has proven to sell (Hibbett, 62).

As of late, independent record labels only account for 16% of all record sales, but are host to 66% of all artists (Hull, 136). Indie labels are smaller, self-sufficient labels which are not owned by any of the major corporate labels (Hibbett, 58). Some include Thrill Jockey, Victory Records and Hope Division Records. Unlike major labels, they provide more creative freedom and have a much better connection with their artists (Sprague, 1). Indies allow for musicians who do not follow the format perceived popular to produce records (Hibbett, 57).

Major record labels tend to produce what is popular, while independents create the opportunity for musicians to be heard. Hanson is a prime example of an independent group. Although their sound is not anything out of this world or “under-produced,” it is what they wanted it to be. They abandoned what would seem like an exclusive spot on the roster of a major record label to achieve that. They and many artists who “miss out” on the opportunity to be featured on a major label form a musical union (the independents), which gives every musician the chance to have their music heard.

References Cited:
Boehlert, Eric. 1998. “Industry: new owners for Hanson, Hole and Beck?” in Rolling Stone.
Caves, Richard E. 2003. “Contracts Between Art and Commerce.” in The Journal of Economic Perspectives.
Dansby, Andrew. 2004. “Hanson Leaves the Garage,” In Rolling Stone.
Greyson, Ashley. 2004. Strong Enough to Break. 3CG.
Hanson, Isaac, Taylor Hanson, Zachary Hanson. 2004. Underneath. 3CG Records
Hibbett, Ryan. 2005. “What Is Indie Rock?” in Popular Music and Society.
Hull, Geoffrey. 2004. “The Recording Industry.” New York: Routledge
Keyes, Daniel. 2007. Personal Interview.
Sprague, David. 2001. “Thrill Jockey’s Artistc Intimacy: Label Earns Identity as ‘Redfined’ Indie,” in Billboard.
n.a. 2004. “AYL: The Message,” on the Are You Listening Website.

Hey, let's KICK it...

-- Tony the Beat (the Sounds)

Anyway, I'm on a Pink Floyd kick right now (I wonder if anyone else even uses that term...). Meaning, I have this insatiable urge to listen to Pink Floyd.

My question is "Are musical kicks, as such, a good thing or a bad thing?"

Let's go through the pros and cons, shall we?

Pros:
+you get to listen to what you like.
+you find new things about what you like.
+you find new things thanks to it.

Cons:
-too much of a good thing.
-might not like what you'd found.
-may find you only like something so much.

Hmm, I MAY have to think on this more. But at current, they seem perfectly okay with me.