don’t dig the Blues, then you got a hole in your soul..
KingThis message
holds true for so many musicians alike & shows no matter what style or genre
you like now, chances are its roots are held in the deepest parts of musical
history going back to Ancient times. Our generation tends to forget a lot about
Music history. Were the “MTV” era of music. The era of music where Analog is
replaced by Digital; CD’s, Cassettes & Vinyl records all taken over by Mp3’s
or iTunes (or maybe free downloaded songs you got from shareware programs such
as Limewire, Kazaa, Napster, e.t.c.) The point is we have become so obsessed
with the digital age of music that we have sacrificed quality of music for the
quality of mainstream.Turn on the radio & you can hear the state of music that we
currently are in today. From Artists who choose to sample other artists work to
those who take a simple effect such as “Auto-Tune” & turn a song
from your standard verse/chorus melody to a mainstream creation where it focuses
solely on the “Hook” part of a song. Take an artist liked T-Pain for instance, he appeared in the music scene
with his first single “I’m Sprung”. Since his inception of the Auto-tune in his
music, countless other artists have used this technique to their fullest
advantage even at the dismay of some of their fans. But to the artists, it was a
cash haven untouched.
With that said, their is a HUGE lack of diversity within the mainstream
music of today. Music Videos have went from being about the music to seeing how
much money they can spend for a 3:14 video. Pop stars rather have you pay
$180.00 for a ticket to see them lip-sync an entire set list rather than give
you a money’s worth well-rounded performance. The only artists I say who was
able to accomplish the feat of having a great performance as well as letting you
hear some very beautiful singing was Michael Jackson, James Brown & Wilson Pickett. They’re
many other artists who have done this as well but these are the ones who gave it
life to begin with.
So now, I want to talk in depth about what mainstream music is? What is
indie music? What does it really matter? These are all questions many of us have
asked but never have gotten a definitive answer. Well I’m here to help you out.
Let’s begin with Indie Music. Indie music can be defined as any band who has not
had the national attention nor the backing of any major distribution label. In
other words, a garage band waiting to be signed. Most of us know what it’s like
to be in a garage band. Showing up for practice late; learning the same
three-chords over and over; playing your instrument un-tuned; annoying your
neighbors & parents. It’s a “Rite Of Passage” if you will. But its also a
learning tool because in the beginning your learning how to be a musician. You
start listening to your favorite idols & mimicking their style and/or
ability. From there you begin to develop your skill from beginner to advanced.
Most of us tend to lose track within that learning period due to an inability of
patience. What we lack in patience, we replace with frustration. Hence why
everyone may own a guitar & know how to play the first intro part of
“Stairway To Heaven” but their is only one Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) who knows how to play it
better than anybody.
I want to talk more about indie vs. mainstream. When you turn on the
radio and you hear the same song being played at least 15x within a 3 hour
window as well as looking at the ringtone infomercial with that same song being
reused as an upbeat euro dance track with a green dancing bear going back &
forth. That is MAINSTREAM! When music isn’t about the hard work that went into
it but the money that can flow out of it. From commercials to selling the latest
trends. This is what we have turned our music into. From something that uplifts
the soul to something that sells Dish Soap. It’s sad to see a great song
like Muddy Waters“I’m Your
Hoochie Coochie Man” being used to sell cars but its even worse when a great
great hits. It just goes to show you the respect we have for our past &
those who helped pave the way for us today.
One certain aspect about music that I feel is out of control is
Sampling. Many, Many, Many Pop Stars, Rap Artists/Producers & Musicians
alike have all been guilty of sampling. Sampling music wasn’t always as bad as
it is today. Back in the day, musicians would sample pieces of music from their
favorite tunes/idols and incorporate that into their music as a sign of tribute
& respect to that person/group. The late Stevie Ray Vaughn, who was
one of the greatest blues guitarist to touch this earth, always incorporated his
idols into his music. Listen to “Texas Flood” (Albert King Influence), “Little
Wing” (Jimi Hendrix Influence), “Taxman” (Buddy Guy Influence). Now let’s look at Pop stars/Rap
Artists who have taken this technique and turned it into something of disgust at
times. But the flipside, it has produced some uncanny tracks worthy of a listen
many times over. Songs like Warren G. & Nate Dogg – “Regulators” (Sampled From Michael
McDonald “I Keep Forgetting”). Sir Mix A Lot – “Baby Got Back” (Sampled by MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”). Yes, It’s in
there. Then you have the infamous list of producers & songs you’d wish they
just didn’t go that route. Vanilla Ice “Ice Ice baby” being sampled from David Bowie & Queen “Under Pressure”.(Side note, Vanilla Ice
tried to claim that he created the beat all on his own and that the little extra
bass note(litterally) makes it completely different. He lost that argument).
Then you have the P. Diddy’s, the Kanye West‘s who take
sampling and use it until they’ve sampled everything and made a dollar off of
it. To their credit, it is ingenious but only to a certain extent especially
when its all their known for. There’s no pure creativity going on that most
serious musicians would regard as quality.
But let me be fair, it is us as a society who have allowed this to
happen. We have went from a society who as a whole listened to artists such
as Miles Davis, B.B. King, Johnny Cash, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard to Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, Beyonce & Phone Ringtones. The norm has become
Pop sampling. And since the passing of the Michael Jackson as well as before,
hundreds have ascended to try and claim the title of “King”. If your hip to
today’s scene, you’d see their is a King Of The South (T.I.), King Of The East (Jay-Z), King Of The West Coast (Snoop Dogg). Each Artist is
heavily talented in their own right due to their popularity and style. And these
artists have become the level at which you are judged. Regardless of the opinion
of others, the level of their success is uncanny. But again, we don’t have the
diversity of our past. Too many things have been thrown together in the hopes of
a solid creation. As I am a student of experimentation, there are certain things
I suggest & things I don’t.
As the years go
passing by, less music gets created & we start to focus on the aspects of
musicians which I feel to be irrelevant. No one’s personal life should be the
subject of debate unless it was in their music. John Mayer, perfect example
of someone who lets their fame precede their music. In the beginning he was
known for his voice & ability. Now he’s TMZ front page news trying to garner
attention for himself. Not his music, for himself. Then posts a video response
saying “the media is always in my business!” Every Musician who lets the fame
get to them has been guilty of this trend. It becomes more about the story than
about the fact.
As I conclude this blog, I want people to get a sense of how important
music is in general. It’s not about trying to make money, or selling a million
records. Because you can achieve all that and still be broke in funds &
spirit. So be wise & don’t take music for granted because there will be a
time when all you will want to hear is some Good Ol’ Blues.
Thank You For Listening,
Suzy S.