Rock Music

What I found in 2013- What I hated in 2013

~ Cave_Guy ~ 8 Comments
English: Arcade Fire at the Eurockéennes of 20...
English: Arcade Fire at the Eurockéennes of 2007. Français : Le groupe Arcade Fire aux Eurockéennes de 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am not good enough to hear a band and immediately place them in context of music relevance for the year. It takes a while for things to seep down into the cerebral cortex and percolate themselves out.

I will say…, however -This blog has helped me figure things out a little faster- I am more engaged than I used to be.

Here is what happened to me in 2013 as an “out of touch” rock music fan.

I’ll do 5 that caught me and 5 I hated

What I liked:

The Xx– Not a new band, but new to me as I caught the fever- Atmospheric elegant sound. Like getting lost in a really trendy fog and having someone hand you a fantastic drink that quenches the thirst and tickles the soul.

The Black Keys– They went from a band I heard of and thought they were O.K to possibly the most solid rock band of this century- I never hear a bad song from these guys and after repeated listens of their standard hits-they just gain traction.

Arcade Fire-Afterlife– I know-This is arty French hipster self-important pompous drivel—– I know that they stand opposed to everything I love about gritty down to earth rock music. But I love this song- I love it so much that I might be tempted to find a nice puffy shirt and neon pair of kicks to try and comply with their dress code and catch them at a concert this summer. I love it so much that I will try one more time to make it through the whole Reflektor album on Spotify.

Spotify-Yes, I am very late to this party. I am surprised at the amount of music available for nothing on this service. It’s like stealing as it is so much quality for nothing. (kind of like the Cave of Fame blog!)

Wrecking Ball-Miley Cyrus–((((Guilty pleasure alert))))) I hated this song the first time I heard it—-I now secretly love it if my kids turn it up. I thought it was stupid that she was naked on a wrecking ball- I now understand that if you are going to be naked on a wrecking ball—-do it while you are still young! And it plays more like nudity in renaissance art to me now. (I think this Arcade Fire thing has messed up my brain)

But seriously –if Helen Mirron got on a wrecking ball with nothing but her fantastic acting skill and did a photo shoot for Vanity Fair—-all the critics would talk about what a brave and edgy cool-chick she really is—-and would trip over all the compliments that they would throw at her unbridled toes.

What I hated:

Robin-Thicke 1
Robin-Thicke 1 (Photo credit: jazzuality.com)

Robin Thicke- That blurred lines garbage is still a ripe smell in the air as we hit 2014. Also, don’t forget that he played a major role in the big twerk-off of 2013- Without him providing the “hammer” to Miley’s “nail”—-The whole thing might not have got so insane. I dislike him so much that I was tempted to browse through “Revelations” and check the attributes of the Antichrist….you know….just to rule him out in my mind because I do have some doubts.

Kiss going in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame– I guess they were going to break down the wall at some point to get in. It was only a matter of time before this Cleveland institution that usually gets it right caved in under the force of those boots and rabid fans.

Nostalgia  “bait and switch” – Take a band like say “Bon Jovi” with only one original member like say “John Bon Jovi” and sell it like the whole band will be there. Or the R.E.O Speedwagon-Terrible Ted  Nugent and Styx –“Mayhem of the Mid-west” tour or whatever it was called. At least Ted Nugent was a standalone product –so that was good. These old  bands that dwindle down to one or two and fight over the name to see who has the rights to a half-hearted performance of bygone hits is a bit much. You might as well go see a good cover band.

Losing Lou Reed- This was really sad because even though he was old and not in great shape- I kind of thought he would last forever.

Rush seems to be gaining power and respect. This bugs me because I may have to go back and change my post about being a Rush hater. I am now changing my position from a Rush hater to a Rush “whateverer”. I still reserve the right to dislike music fans that take it as a solid fact that dislike of Rush means no real taste in rock music. (I think my wrecking ball admission is a worse transgression)

Bon Iver.Skinny Love and Guinness

~ Cave_Guy ~ 9 Comments

Bon Iver is an acquired taste for a more refined palette.

And for those of you that are still with me after that outrageous statement of pompous indifference- I will try to defend my non-hipster ass.

Note: Hipsters will not take me in and I don’t want to grow the approved fancy facial hair or lease a mini cooper right at this moment-plus I am just too frigging old anyway.

Bon Iver is more like Guinness due to the fact that once you get over that whole “wow, that stuff is so black and thick-it’s not like beer -how can you drink that crap?” phase and just down a few with a little conviction and determination. You find out that it is not that bad after all at first and then you find out in quick succession that it is in fact the best brew on the face of this earth—–and maybe even beyond; I mean when they finally find evidence of life on other planets and look at what they drink for beer…I have a hard time believing that anything in the milky way galaxy will beat this taste. It is sublime and it is all the tragedy and joy of life in a glass (at least if you get it poured right!).

Your palette becomes different not because you are of better stock than the huddled masses around you- your palette becomes different because you make the effort to give new things a chance and not instantly judge them as garbage.

This leads to an enjoyment of new things- this leads to experiencing art in a way that is like fireworks firing off in your brain.

Back to Bon Iver

Once you get over the whole “wow, sounds like a wimpy coyote howling on a cold Wisconsin night” kind of thing and let yourself flow with it. The dude can get right down into the subconscious of fear and love stored up in your brain -give it a gentle scratch and make you feel alive. The words are unspecific enough that it works on you like great abstract art because you get the emotion from the form and composition but don’t understand why you get it. (For those of you that don’t like abstract art-I suggest that you read my paragraph above about experiencing new things and drink a few Guinness before heading back to the museum).

All I mean to say:

Refinement is not about thinking you are better – it is about pushing through that wall of unknown to get to new enjoyment and appreciation.

And:

Thinking you are better than others because they don’t like the same beer (or premium vodka) or music that you like makes you not a hipster but just a prick- Ok…maybe it is the same thing?

Here is Bon Iver and hope you give yourself a chance to enjoy it-because once you really get it- it is something special.

And finally-hearing the Birdy version of this song inspired this post. I admit I don’t love this version or this artist now-but I will give it a chance and let it change my mind.

And Cheers from the Cave!

Lou Reed

~ Cave_Guy ~ 2 Comments

Goodbye and thanks to Brother Lou–we hardly knew you

You were complicated, angry and cynical. But instead of letting it build up inside and end up being a menace to society – you turned it into beautiful music. Gritty honesty with a warped sense of humor is a great combo. Somehow you became the first un-natural rock star.  The moves always looked forced and the voice was always nervous.

But you made it work and thanks.

You let us misfits know that we could get by.

I always thought of you as a long lost brother-It may be a bit weird but that’s what I thought, and now you are gone, may you head toward the great unknown in a blaze of feedback.

You were around for an eternity in Rock n’ Roll years but we still hardly knew you.

Addiction Special! Some great Rock Music.

~ Cave_Guy ~ 2 Comments

Addiction Special!  Some great Rock Music.

  1. Under the Bridge.Red Hot Chili Peppers

Your band is doing great and you are shooting up under a bridge with random junkies you don’t know.

Yeah-addiction is like that. It does not give you anything—it just strings you along and sucks the lifeblood out of you. It leaves you a shell of yourself; any energy that you have will be removed and transferred to it. It is relentless-it is after you and you can’t stop.

But it makes for some great music. Those lucky enough to take it to the edge and escape (warning-results not typical, your battle may not turn into a hit song with an interesting story).

But nevertheless, great song!

  1. She talks to angels.The Black Crowes

“Pain gonna make everything alright”

Watching someone battle their demons can be as bad as being sucked into the vortex of no hope yourself. It goes right to the feeling of helplessness that can drown you as you witness someone else drowning.

Of course each addiction problem is a little different as is each person a unique individual-but….but……but…this strikes so many in similar ways that is easy for the masses to relate, even in the third person scenario.

3.Hurt.Johny Cash

You get to the end of your run with nothing left to prove and instead of going quietly into that dark night- you decide to take an artistic high dive that will drag us all through the depths of hell with you to show us all that you do not take heaven lightly. You are the Man in Black and this song plays in my head like “Paradise Lost” plays in my soul. I don’t know what else I can say- inspired genius.

4.Joey.Concrete Blond

Here we go with a song about being the enabler in the addiction process. Ah, yes- that volatile mixture of love and addiction. Johnette has the gift of making everything extra real and relevant without making it a cartoon.

5.Back to Black.Amy Winehouse

Wow!-here I am echoing the sentiments of Amy Winehouse about putting together a bunch of depressing songs one after another. “I died a hundred times”-She is not just saying that-she is feeling those words. I don’t care if you accuse me of a stretch with this because I love this song and I don’t love “Rehab”.

Great music lends itself to many different interpretations- Maybe I am still coming down from my last post with Marvin Gaye but this song always cuts me up. The desperation and cry for help that went unheeded is haunting.

What a waste of talent and another sad victim of this disease.

Cheers from the cave…and think I will keep it to just the one pint tonight.

The Xx… my new favorite band

~ Cave_Guy ~ 1 Comment

The Xx… my new favorite band

They may not be brand new but they are new to me. I hear atmospheric indie pop that is ice cold. I hear The Cure on the way to another galaxy running through the endless void of outer space. I feel like I am walking over the immensity of solid sea ice in constant dark winter as the northern lights dance over my head….

But that might be just me.

That is the great thing about having a music blog and pushing yourself ever so slightly to jump into some strange waters. Once you get over that first shock –you often find that the water is kind of nice and before you know it, you are having a nice refreshing swim.

This blog post is all about not being that guy who thinks the best music has already been done.

That guy who says music today is all crap.

Just slow down –get over yourself—–and listen——-really listen.

Joe Jackson.It’s Different for Girls

~ Cave_Guy ~ 8 Comments

Joe Jackson (the one with shoes)

Joe Jackson, El Macombo, Toronto, May 21, 1979
Joe Jackson, El Macombo, Toronto, May 21, 1979 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is for one of the great lost technicians to ever craft wonderful beat and melody. He arrived on that great flood of new wave/pop-punk that washed a ton of debris on shore starting in 1979. He was one of the few precious gems left after that great flood receded. This post finds him still alive and well and living in Germany.

Find him here: http://joejackson.com/

He not only creates great songs- the dude can sing- the dude can put on a show-grabbing the moment in his fists and squeezing everything out of it. He is a professional-I only saw him once in concert and he did not disappoint.

Am I going a little crazy waxing poetically about a little blip on the screen of pop music?

Maybe- but I hope you did not miss it at the time it happened. I am focusing on that great output of creativity in three short years from 1979 Look Sharp to 1982 Night and Day – 5 solid recordings – I admit that I left him at the scene of Mike’s Murder in 1983—it was over for this fair weather fan but the man kept rolling on through life and all the storms and kept making great music. You have to respect a true professional. And I am tracking him down again. Now that we are both adults (or at least should be by now).

The Clash.The Card Cheat

~ Cave_Guy ~ 4 Comments

My favorite Clash song

Brooding and direct

It works on you on many levels

This band at their best

Honest and rambles down the road of your soul like a rusty car of truth that cannot be stopped

It does not lose or gain power over the years- it revolves around and quietly orbits the music universe waiting a glance in the right direction

That is what all great music does

So enjoy —and I encourage you to buy this song and go search out more of the greatest band to walk this earth

And if legal representatives want me to remove this post or threaten to put me in jail or fine me because the 7 or 8 people that might click on this bother them- then I will remove it

But I don’t do this to steal music- I do this to share my love of great music

Thanks for dropping by the cave

Bobby McGee Deconstructed

~ Cave_Guy ~ 12 Comments

Bobby McGee deconstructed-

 

We start with nothing:

“Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin’ for a train”

We end with nothing:

“Nothing and that’s all that Bobby left me”

We’d give anything to do it all over again:

“I’d trade all my tomorrows for a single yesterday”

This is deeper than just a typical little folk/country/rock song- Kris Kristofferson has hit on something profound.

An adventure starts in Louisiana rain and goes through “Kentucky coal mines to the California sun”. This is a song that can be appreciated by the broke majority in “all kinds of weather”.

“I pulled my harpoon from my dirty red bandana”

The Bandana: The symbol of the outlaw, cowboy or counter culture.

Harpoon: slang for harmonica …this is groovy man….the good ol’ harmonica and echoes of first person blues sung on the road. This goes all the way back to the origins of rock music and fitting that it starts on the edge of the Mississippi delta.

Pink can’t mess this song up- it is that good.

“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”

 

There are iconic lines in rock music, I don’t know how many (maybe a future post?) but I do know this one gets thrown on the rough draft and makes it through all revisions with no argument.

Freedom is a cool thing but this has me thinking a different way.

Freedom is the last option for the desperate among us.

Freedom is a benefit that remains when all else has been lost in America.

Or…whatever interpretation of this line you want to add based on your own life and experience….go ahead- try one-this line can take it. As in all great art—it holds up under all kinds of light and still shines in any darkness.

The Voice

Janis Joplin sings like a tiger escaped from a circus–

Dangerous but beautiful- Sad but truthful. Tamed enough to perform, but still wild. I hear echoes of those Kentucky coalmines. I hear the brooding downpours of the Louisiana rain. I feel the California sun burning in that voice.

The combination of great song writing with this vocal instrument makes this an essential work. Without this song -Janis Joplin could easily be remembered like Mama Cass as just another casualty of the 60’s-

With this song she becomes a legend.

And speaking of legends-here is “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis with a version

And finally- I am hanging on to the hope that Bobby McGee actually did find that elusive “home’ when he/she (or both, whatever works for you today, we don’t judge at the cave) slipped away near Salinas.

 

Loudness.Crazy Nights

~ Cave_Guy ~ 10 Comments

So much Metal at the height of its power- big hair and Marshal amps, maybe some boots and make-up to go with them sleek sexy guitars and it takes over the entire world.

Loudness could have only happened when the saturation of this genre was complete. This song is a true relic that gets forgotten when metal fans talk of the good ol’ days.

I love this song- pure attitude and flash with all the offensiveness sanitized out as it is washed to brilliance in the eastern sun. American metal gets transposed into a cartoon of itself and sent back to us in a bright package of innocent excited exuberance. Metal at its best is cartoony music with monsters and superheroes competing on stage with guitar gods and devils. Right back to the beginning with Black Sabbath dragging Ironman from a cheap comic and Lemmy dealing cards with evil in the “Ace of Spades”.

 “The beat kicks you in the head”

It can make us old men feel like a 14 year old boy again. And let’s face it….this was (and is) always the target audience of metal music. Like pro wrestling and video games…it is just a little creepy if we indulge in these vices as we hit half a century.

But……”The beat kicks you in the face” and “We are the heroes tonight”

I have to admit that I did enjoy the slight trip back and thank you “Loudness”