Linked below is an interesting article from today's New York Post about Crash Management which is the management for bands such as Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco and the Academy is.. The article pretty much talks about how Crash is like a factory and how the business model is pretty much based on that of Lou Pearlman (the man behind the Backstreet Boys and N'Snych), Motown and the Brill Building. And the article pretty much compares the bands that Crash manages to the hair bands of the 80's i.e. Motley Crew and Posion and also to the Backstreet Boys with guitars comparisons that I think are pretty spot on. Something I didn't know is that Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy is doing A&R for them and Wentz sees himself as a rock version of Jay-Z, I guess that would explain the crass commercialism of his career. I love it how he compares himself to Bob Dylan in the article and how he thinks he'll get respect in 30 years time, that gave me a good morning laugh!! The other thing I didn't know was that Crash's offices are located on my block!!
I honestly think this article is pretty accurate with its comparisons, I'm no fan of the music that Crash puts out all though I will admit that I do like one song by Panic at the Disco and I do like that Gym Class Heroes song, I consider that music guilty pleasure pop music much like Fergie, The Black Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls. I loathe Pete Wentz I think he is such an ass! He is the emo teen idol version of Brett Micheals from Poison, in ten years time he'll be on the Surreal Life 15 on Vh-1 trying to revive his career!
Much in the way that punk took over disco and art rock in the late 70's/ early 80's and grunge took over hair metal in the late 80's/ early 90's, I seriously wonder what is going to over take the emo pop teen idol movement?? Could it be Elvis Perkins and the Cold War Kids, could America be into something that is older, brilliant and sophisticated!!?? Could garage rock finally slaughter the emo pop teen idol movement, bands like the Star Spangles tried could it finally be garage rocks moment, if it is garage rock's moment to slaughter the bad my money is on NJ's own the Screaming Females, Marissa kicks ass! Who knows it will be very interesting to watch!!
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06062007/entertainment/music/teenage_tasteland_music_maureen_callahan.htm
Did anyone watch "America's Got Talent" last night?? I caught the last ten minutes of the show last night and couldn't turn away! It's like "The Gong Show" without the wackiness, humor and coked up host!! I guess the Simon Cowell wannabe dude Piers making seven year old children cry is supposed to be the comic relief!? Or is it supposed to be David Hasselhoff's comments?! All though I think The Hoff is following in Chuck Barris' footsteps by being pretty out of it! But what amazes me about this show is how many stage mothers parade their less then talented children out on stage in front of the cameras!! The show kinda reminds me of "The Gong Show" as if it were to air on the PAX channel and what is Sharon Osbourne doing on this show?? I really like her!
Lately I've been on a jag were I've been reading nothing but biographies about famous musicians or books about musical history. Today I picked myself up a copy of Frank Zappa's biography "The Real Frank Zappa Book" it was written by him in the late 1980's, I'm really looking forward to reading it. Usually with these books on music I can read them in two days, I have a hard time putting them down! One book that I can't wait for to come out is the new Pamela Des Barres book called "Let's Spend the Night Together", groupies discuss their one night stands with artists such as Elvis, Kurt Cobian, Mick Jagger and Courtney Love. The one thing that I like about Pamela Des Barres' books are that she doesn't make them out to be sleazy, there is an innocence to her books and her stories. The thing I like about her is that she was an innocent girl who loved music and was in the right place at the right time! Plus I think what the GTO's did rivals anything and is better then a lot of the stuff that people like Yoko Ono were doing and that first GTO's record is better then some of the stuff the girl groups at the time were putting out!! The early reviews that I have read on "Let's Spend the Night Together" are really good, I'll be the first on line to buy it in July when it is released!!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Sopranos and Paul McCartney and Wings
Last night I watched the second to last episode of "The Sopranos" and all I could say is meh I kinda saw that coming.
If you haven't seen it just yet warning ***spoilers ahead***!!
I some how knew that Phil was going to declare war on Tony and his crew things were building up and and the whole CoCo (which was one of the nastiest things I ever saw) incident just pushed things over the edge.
What was surprising about the episode was Dr. Melfi's change of heart towards Tony. I thought for sure he would have been all in her face screaming at her, but I think he was just so shocked by her tone and what she said to him that he tried to analyze the situation rather then just react in a way he normally would.
I sorta knew one of the guys close to Tony would get offed, I didn't think it would be Bobby. That scene were Bobby got offed was really disturbing but very well done with the train.
My predictions for the season finale:
There is going to be some incident with Dr. Melfi either she is going to be the one who goes to the feds or she herself is in some sort of trouble.
I really think AJ or Meadow is going to get killed or AJ is going to witness their father kill someone.
It's hard to say with Sil, be I honestly think he is a goner.
Paulie I think is working with Phil's crew, cause he had this ominous look on his face as he was driving away with the Italians.
Hummmm we shall see next week I guess!
Okay continue to read!
Paul McCartney has finally added his solo back catalogue to itunes, growing up my mother was and still is a Beatles freak (which she turned me into) and Paul was and still is her favorite Beatle, she and my dad had to get married on March 12th just like Paul and Linda and she always thought it was so cool that Paul and Linda had three daughters and so did she! The only Beatles solo albums that were in the house were Paul McCartney and Wings! Every time my mom would clean the house she would always listen to "Venus and Mars" and "Band on the Run" and every car trip we'd have to listen to Paul McCartney's Greatest Hits and my mom would sing along at the top of her lungs to every song!! It's safe to say I think I know every song off of "Band on the Run", "Venus and Mars", "McCartney" and "Ram" by heart!! I can beat anyone in a Paul McCartney and Wings karaoke contest!!
As I got older and began to really get into music and really learn about music and began to listen to solo stuff by John Lennon and George Harrison I realized that Paul was the seriously corny Beatle!! Not to diminish Paul's talents, the man could write a beautiful ballad and a really great pop song and there would be either one or the other on one album. But most of his solo stuff to me really sounded and still sounds as if he wasn't really trying cause he is Paul McCartney!! But on Sir Macca's cheesiest, corniest day I bet he can still write a song that is better then half the music that is currently on the charts or popular *cough* Fall Out Boy!!
Anyway yesterday I downloaded some of my favorite Paul solo songs from itunes. The songs that I think are some of his best solo stuff and the ones that I downloaded are: "Too Many People" from "Ram", "HelenWheels", "Venus and Mars", "Band on the Run" and "Let me roll it to you" and "Mull of Kintyre", which is a Scottish folk tune that he translated very well.
He is also good when he collaborates with the right people. I can remember a few years ago he did some songs with Elvis Costello and I remember really liking those songs they were good basic Sir Macca pop songs, that sounded like the good basic pop songs he wrote when he was in the Beatles. The Michael Jackson collaborations were meh, "Say Say Say" was a pretty good song, but "The Girl is Mine" was pretty bad!! And that collaboration he did with Lincoln Park at the Grammys a few years ago was pretty lame! I know they were supposed to show the old and the new and the influence of Sir Macca on new music and I think he was trying to prove that he can still be hip with the young 'ens who may not know his music, but it just came across as seriously lame! I'm no Lincoln Park fan, their music is what I call angry frat boy rock and every time I hear their music I always think of that song by Ben Folds "Rockin' the Suburbs", I betcha it was Heather who talked him into doing a collaboration with Lincoln Park, she looks like a Lincoln Park fan!!
But bless him he is Paul McCartney and at this point he can do anything musically!! He still makes music people enjoy and he sells out arenas all over the world!!
If you haven't seen it just yet warning ***spoilers ahead***!!
I some how knew that Phil was going to declare war on Tony and his crew things were building up and and the whole CoCo (which was one of the nastiest things I ever saw) incident just pushed things over the edge.
What was surprising about the episode was Dr. Melfi's change of heart towards Tony. I thought for sure he would have been all in her face screaming at her, but I think he was just so shocked by her tone and what she said to him that he tried to analyze the situation rather then just react in a way he normally would.
I sorta knew one of the guys close to Tony would get offed, I didn't think it would be Bobby. That scene were Bobby got offed was really disturbing but very well done with the train.
My predictions for the season finale:
There is going to be some incident with Dr. Melfi either she is going to be the one who goes to the feds or she herself is in some sort of trouble.
I really think AJ or Meadow is going to get killed or AJ is going to witness their father kill someone.
It's hard to say with Sil, be I honestly think he is a goner.
Paulie I think is working with Phil's crew, cause he had this ominous look on his face as he was driving away with the Italians.
Hummmm we shall see next week I guess!
Okay continue to read!
Paul McCartney has finally added his solo back catalogue to itunes, growing up my mother was and still is a Beatles freak (which she turned me into) and Paul was and still is her favorite Beatle, she and my dad had to get married on March 12th just like Paul and Linda and she always thought it was so cool that Paul and Linda had three daughters and so did she! The only Beatles solo albums that were in the house were Paul McCartney and Wings! Every time my mom would clean the house she would always listen to "Venus and Mars" and "Band on the Run" and every car trip we'd have to listen to Paul McCartney's Greatest Hits and my mom would sing along at the top of her lungs to every song!! It's safe to say I think I know every song off of "Band on the Run", "Venus and Mars", "McCartney" and "Ram" by heart!! I can beat anyone in a Paul McCartney and Wings karaoke contest!!
As I got older and began to really get into music and really learn about music and began to listen to solo stuff by John Lennon and George Harrison I realized that Paul was the seriously corny Beatle!! Not to diminish Paul's talents, the man could write a beautiful ballad and a really great pop song and there would be either one or the other on one album. But most of his solo stuff to me really sounded and still sounds as if he wasn't really trying cause he is Paul McCartney!! But on Sir Macca's cheesiest, corniest day I bet he can still write a song that is better then half the music that is currently on the charts or popular *cough* Fall Out Boy!!
Anyway yesterday I downloaded some of my favorite Paul solo songs from itunes. The songs that I think are some of his best solo stuff and the ones that I downloaded are: "Too Many People" from "Ram", "HelenWheels", "Venus and Mars", "Band on the Run" and "Let me roll it to you" and "Mull of Kintyre", which is a Scottish folk tune that he translated very well.
He is also good when he collaborates with the right people. I can remember a few years ago he did some songs with Elvis Costello and I remember really liking those songs they were good basic Sir Macca pop songs, that sounded like the good basic pop songs he wrote when he was in the Beatles. The Michael Jackson collaborations were meh, "Say Say Say" was a pretty good song, but "The Girl is Mine" was pretty bad!! And that collaboration he did with Lincoln Park at the Grammys a few years ago was pretty lame! I know they were supposed to show the old and the new and the influence of Sir Macca on new music and I think he was trying to prove that he can still be hip with the young 'ens who may not know his music, but it just came across as seriously lame! I'm no Lincoln Park fan, their music is what I call angry frat boy rock and every time I hear their music I always think of that song by Ben Folds "Rockin' the Suburbs", I betcha it was Heather who talked him into doing a collaboration with Lincoln Park, she looks like a Lincoln Park fan!!
But bless him he is Paul McCartney and at this point he can do anything musically!! He still makes music people enjoy and he sells out arenas all over the world!!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Green-Wood Cemetery
The house that I grew up in on Long Island was in front of a cemetery and most often growing up I along with other family members would go for walks in the cemetery, we often found it to be very peaceful. And being the history geek that I'm I always found that graveyard behind my house to be a fascinating look at the history of the area that I grew up in, there is an area of that graveyard were the graves go back to the 1760's.
Yesterday I made a field trip out to Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery. Green-Wood is a massive cemetery in between Park Slope, Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace that is the final resting place of many very well known New Yorkers among them Alice Lee Roosevelt (the first wife of US President Teddy Roosevelt), Louis Comfort Tiffany (jewelry designer and founder of Tiffany's), Jean-Michel Basquit (the artist from the 80's), Leonard Bernstein (composer of "West Side Story"), F.A.O Schwartz (the founder of the famous toy store) and Albert Anastasia (the famous mobster) and many other well known New Yorkers. The cemetery has been in existence since 1838 and was and still is a very popular tourist attraction. And the layout of the cemetery was said to inspire Fredrick Law Olmstead to design Central Park.
When you walk into the cemetery you pass through this massive goth like structure which houses the cemetery office and in this goth like structure there is a computerized database were you can look up were your loved one is buried. To the right of the offices is a whole field containing headstones of New Yorkers who fought in the Civil War. Once I checked out the civil war head stones I headed up a massive hill armed with only a map pin pointing were all the well known people are buried and my ipod, (I could have kicked myself for not buying a disposable camera!) as I came to rest at the top of this hill the top of this hill I looked out and saw the most spectacular views of Manhattan. I was standing in the family plot of two generations of a New York family who no doubt have the most unhindered beautiful, free view for all of eternity! As I headed down the hill I noticed some of the most ostentatious and elaborate headstones I have ever seen, rivaling those of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs! One headstone that caught my eye was that of a young man killed during World War One who was a Yale graduate whose graduation year along with his Greek Letters were imprinted on his tomb stone. Another belonged to a man by the name of Grey whose tomb stone looked like something that you would see in Ireland but more flamboyant. The most elaborate was that of the mausoleum of The Steinway family who were famous for their pianos and of course Steinway Street in Astoria. The mausoleum was HUGE!! But what struck me was that mausoleum along with all the others that I saw (at one point they surround one of the lakes) have doors that are sealed up. My guess was that was to keep grave robbers out!
The only well known graves that I saw besides the Steinway family was that of Boss Tweed and Lola Montez. While that was interesting I was more fascinated by the ornate gravestones of some of the non famous people. I would like to go back because I feel like I only saw one half of it and when I do go back I promise that I will bring a camera!!
As I was walking along looking at these gravestones I really felt a peaceful feeling and I wasn't scared nor did I not feel unsafe I felt very much at peace.
When I do these urban explorations of historical sites I always find myself listening to Pink Floyd, as I was looking at the Civil War graves the opening of "Atom Heart Mother" began to play with the sound of cannon fire and horses and when I saw Boss Tweed's grave "Money" was playing and when I was at the top of that hill "Great Gig In the Sky" was playing!! It is true Roger Waters made it so Pink Floyd can go with any historical walk or any old time movie!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green-Wood_Cemetery
http://www.green-wood.com/
Yesterday I made a field trip out to Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery. Green-Wood is a massive cemetery in between Park Slope, Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace that is the final resting place of many very well known New Yorkers among them Alice Lee Roosevelt (the first wife of US President Teddy Roosevelt), Louis Comfort Tiffany (jewelry designer and founder of Tiffany's), Jean-Michel Basquit (the artist from the 80's), Leonard Bernstein (composer of "West Side Story"), F.A.O Schwartz (the founder of the famous toy store) and Albert Anastasia (the famous mobster) and many other well known New Yorkers. The cemetery has been in existence since 1838 and was and still is a very popular tourist attraction. And the layout of the cemetery was said to inspire Fredrick Law Olmstead to design Central Park.
When you walk into the cemetery you pass through this massive goth like structure which houses the cemetery office and in this goth like structure there is a computerized database were you can look up were your loved one is buried. To the right of the offices is a whole field containing headstones of New Yorkers who fought in the Civil War. Once I checked out the civil war head stones I headed up a massive hill armed with only a map pin pointing were all the well known people are buried and my ipod, (I could have kicked myself for not buying a disposable camera!) as I came to rest at the top of this hill the top of this hill I looked out and saw the most spectacular views of Manhattan. I was standing in the family plot of two generations of a New York family who no doubt have the most unhindered beautiful, free view for all of eternity! As I headed down the hill I noticed some of the most ostentatious and elaborate headstones I have ever seen, rivaling those of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs! One headstone that caught my eye was that of a young man killed during World War One who was a Yale graduate whose graduation year along with his Greek Letters were imprinted on his tomb stone. Another belonged to a man by the name of Grey whose tomb stone looked like something that you would see in Ireland but more flamboyant. The most elaborate was that of the mausoleum of The Steinway family who were famous for their pianos and of course Steinway Street in Astoria. The mausoleum was HUGE!! But what struck me was that mausoleum along with all the others that I saw (at one point they surround one of the lakes) have doors that are sealed up. My guess was that was to keep grave robbers out!
The only well known graves that I saw besides the Steinway family was that of Boss Tweed and Lola Montez. While that was interesting I was more fascinated by the ornate gravestones of some of the non famous people. I would like to go back because I feel like I only saw one half of it and when I do go back I promise that I will bring a camera!!
As I was walking along looking at these gravestones I really felt a peaceful feeling and I wasn't scared nor did I not feel unsafe I felt very much at peace.
When I do these urban explorations of historical sites I always find myself listening to Pink Floyd, as I was looking at the Civil War graves the opening of "Atom Heart Mother" began to play with the sound of cannon fire and horses and when I saw Boss Tweed's grave "Money" was playing and when I was at the top of that hill "Great Gig In the Sky" was playing!! It is true Roger Waters made it so Pink Floyd can go with any historical walk or any old time movie!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green-Wood_Cemetery
http://www.green-wood.com/
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