Never again; I wish...

Nickelback: aka a mediocre rock band with average songs, except for a couple of hooky songs.
While listening to the local 'supposed' all rock station (Pearl Jam was followed by an old Rod Stewart Song) while i was in the shower, I heard "Never Again", one of the worst songs I have ever heard played on the radio as a single. How many more cheesy 'don't abuse women' songs can be written? Please take it up a notch with something people can sink their teeth into. Nickelback's song is so predictable in the songwriting element and in the musical aspect (another turn up the distorted powerchords and play on the beats song) that after the first ten seconds you should be done with it. I wanted to jump out of the shower and cut off the song about as much as I have done when "Lady Lumps" kicks on. It's hard to believe that "Never Again" was actually a single, but I guess since just about all of the songs sound the same, the choices were very slim for a good single from the start.

music from my rabbit ears

This morning I happened to wake up to the Today Show on NBC and Matt was giving a 'bow down and cry holy' intro for K.T. Tunstall, someone I've not heard of before this morning. I don't remember his exact words, but he seemed to think that she had an original or different style (I was half awake, not wearing my contacts, trying to figure out who the heck she was and where I was). I heard something like a click-track start up and then some palm-muted scratches. The loops began shortly after and that was the foundation for her entire song. Hmm, wasn't that original when Howie Day was doing this back before Australia, although it was new to me at that time (of course since then, he has sold out to the Adult Alternative market with the song "Collide" and the other versions of the same song on the same release, except the track "Perfect Time of Day".) Tunstall's voice was nice and she definitely had to be talented to pull off the 'one woman band' on the Today Show. On the other hand, the song was rather boring and didn't really go anywhere, a pet peeve of mine. I wonder if she will draft a full band for a tour, or if she will keep this solo gig going.

Brendan Benson is a name probably known to most from his appearance on one of the Smallville soundtracks. I didn't know him from that because I don't watch the show. To the surprise of many, I don't have cable or satellite (great DMB song) at home. We watch major network tv and have too much to watch even then, so we have kept away from another pointless bill. I found Benson's music in the Paste Magazine Download Vault. I had heard of Benson before, but didn't know it. The jingle from one of the Ford Fusion commercials features "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" and I recognized the music, but didn't know who it was. I broke out one of the mix cds I had made and listened through it until I figured out it was him. "Gold into Straw" was the other track available from Alternative to Love. I liked both tracks, so I bit the bullet and bought the cd. I have listened through it a few times, but I have had so much music around lately that I haven't had time to really listen and let it grow on me. I downloaded a live John Vanderslice concert from www.johnvanderslice.com (Live and Direct) around the same time and I've been listening to it instead.

There are some tv commercial songs which I never get a chance to figure out at all and many on tv shows which the shows' websites say nothing about. Random songs on shows get me excited. The best example I can think of was one night on Scrubs. The show ended with Coldplay's "Everything's Not Lost" from Parachutes. I didn't even recognize the song, but after the show I ran, knowing it was Coldplay, to my cds and pulled out The Blue Room Ep. It was the wrong one, so I next pulled Parachutes and was glad to find that I wasn't crazy. It's interesting that a lot of shows including Grey's Anatomy, The O.C., One Tree Hill, Smallville, and Scrubs are trying to tie in to those favoring music mostly found off of the radar. This is good for indie music because of the exposure, but bad at the same time because the tracks don't really give the viewing audience the best representation of a band's sound. Take for example Jet's "Look What You've Done" featured on one of The O.C.'s many mix albums. It is a simple Lennon/McCartney ripoff which gathered a lot of radio attention for that reason alone, pathetic. That song would give some the idea of a pop album with maybe a little rock, but that's totally wrong since the rest of the album is a southern rock romp straight from The Black Crows' songbook, which was originally stolen from too many names to mention. Either way, that means more albums sold for Jet, which is probably what they wanted anyway.

Kelly Clarkson is a hypocrite

Ruben disappeared after going the easy, Christian music market; Fantasia was a shrieking joke; Carrie went on home to the 'backwoods' to be largely ignored because of her music genre; and Clay, even though he didn't win, has been the subject of scary rumors and has even written a book. Compared to the others, Kelly has definitely been the most successful of all from American Idol. Her second album, Breakaway, is a decent album. I actually have it and like most of it, although it does get a bit repetitious after halfway through the songs (not even close to being as bad as Avril is at sounding the same over and over). Surprisingly, she only wrote on a few of the songs, but now wants to act like she was the god of them all. She and her reps were refusing to allow other Idol hopefuls to perform her songs for the show that gave her all. Simon blasted her in the press (that's the time the press used), although I have heard him blast Idol hopefuls worse than the story I read from the A.P. Kelly Clarkson would still be performing crappy songs with a mediocre band in a trashy bar for tips (and working there during the week at night) if not for the American public and their phones. What an ungrateful little pinup. Unfortunately, it's not too surprising to me. It's not like she's the first self-centered person in the U.S. She has since 'changed her mind', which of course means her publicist told her that she looks like an idiot, people are starting to hate her, and we can only remember hearing her voice singing 'her' songs. That of course brings up another issue which I will rant on at another time: the Nashville hit machine and how songwriters are undervalued. Yeah, way to go Kelly, you worked so much harder than all of the other successful artists/bands. You really put The Police to shame, since you performed at places like CBGB's where maybe only 3 people showed up, slept in vans during tours, and didn't even have enough money at times to support your family or buy yourself a cup of coffee. I am sure your success had nothing to do with you being an attractive, young lady with a pretty smile which you used to charm America; the same people you snapped on with the 'better than thou' stance which you have taken. Shame, shame, shame on you, you ungrateful "Breakaway". What's happened to you "Since You've Been Gone". (Yes, I am a huge Police fan; the were one of the best bands ever they worked their selves into the ground to get a break even after Sting's songs were rejected by both the UK and US.)

a first step into the dark

Welcome to my world of chaos, okay not that chaotic. I am a counselor/therapist with professional licenses, that's the day job. Psychology is great, even better since Tom Cruise isn't on board with the whole thing; but music is my first love and my passion in life. I am a perfectionist trying to learn to not be so obsessive about everything. I do review cds through a website in the UK and have been doing that for the past 6 months, all indie releases, some of them on indie labels, some of them right out of peoples' shoeboxes, yes with the foot odor. I really want to write full time, but am not in the place to do that at the moment since I live in southwest Louisiana (yes, Rita trashed my roof and yard) and nothing happens here musically, unless you count Wayne Toups.

I am currently watching American Idol, laughing my butt off. I really don't like the show, so I am already sounding like a hypocritical freak right out of the cannon. But, I love watching how horrible the people are which come in before the actual voting starts. I don't know how most of those people can not have a clue as to how horrible they actually are when performing. I guess everyone thinks they are great at something, I mean, I think I am great at tearing apart any music at any time, just totally trashing it, and I love it! These people must think the singing is their bag and wear it proudly over the shoulder and their family and friends love them too much to take the bag from them, put it under a car, and run over it fifteen times.

I hope to keep my posts about music I am listening to, possible things I am reading, and things that creep in from life. My attention span can be short and it is right now.

Rye