A main ingredient to a rock musician: attitude?

As we have seen throughout the semester, there are many genres of music that all produce a different image or theme. Is it safe to say that rock music produces an overall theme of rebellion? I believe that this can be seen in guitarists such as Angus Young, through his roar in guitar playing and his attitude to not behave on stage. Does this come along with the instrument that one is playing also?
We have seen that the electric guitar is a fundamental form to the substance of what is rock music. The Guitar magazine issue December 2008 states that the electric guitar is like a tool for players to use in feeling what they are playing. Therefore do guitar players use the attitude of misbehaving just so that they can feel the hard hitting rock tunes that they are playing?
Look at Jimi Hendrix he is a shining example of some of the things guitar players can do. Hendrix played the guitar with his teeth, is this an example of the perfect rock musician? Is it the norm to act in an unusual way when playing an instrument. A famous trumpet player named Charlie Parker once stated that "if you don't live it, it don't come out your horn," therefore if you as a rock musician don't live your music, you won't produce the right sounds?
I believe this answer is up to it's audience... Some have questioned the acts of Silverchair when they used to destroy their instruments. Daniel Johns once quoted that they do it because "they aren't theirs;" is this a form of rebellion coming through in the acts of Silverchair?
For us audience it can be enjoyable to view these rebellion acts on stage, but I believe that the answer lies within Charlie Parker's quote mentioned above, if one does not live their rock music how can they produce the sounds. This can produce the aesthetically true rock song.
I would love to ask this question to those musicians who mimmick and mime their songs. I wonder if others feel the exact same.

Rock with a twist: Jethro Tull

Have you ever heard of a rock group with a flute player as their front man? Jethro Tull have been circulating the rock musician world for almost four decades. Front man Ian Anderson encaspulated his rock songs with a burst of flute playing which captured many musicians and audience ears and eyes around the world.
Jethro Tull formed in 1967, they are a British rock group who contributed in changing the method of a typical rock band. Jethro Tull have released many live DVDs and can be first seen on the "Rolling Stones, Rock and Roll Circus." Jethro Tull alone have sold more than 60 million Cd's worldwide.
After auditions for a replacement guitarist in December 1968, Anderson chose Martin Barre, a former member of Motivation, Penny Peeps, and Gethsemane, who was playing with Noel Redding's Fat Mattress at the time. Barre was so nervous at his first audition that he could hardly play at all, and then showed up for a second audition without an amplifier or a cord to connect his guitar to another amp. Nevertheless, Barre would become Abrahams' permanent replacement on guitar and the second longest-standing member of the band after Anderson.
The band was soon to be on it's way. Ian Anderson has changed his band members throughout time, however Barre's incredible talent on the guitar has allowed him to stay within the group for such time.
Jethro Tull only toured Australia less than five years ago, playing at the State Theatre in Sydney. They stole their own show by playing songs like Locomotive Breath, Teacher, Songs from the Wood, Jack in the Green to perfect sound as one would hear on the original album. The characteristics developed in these songs are full on rock based, especially Locomotive Breath; it really does hit the spot, when it comes to the feelings that rock songs can give their audience. Locomotive Breath has almost poetry for it's lyrics and the music is hard, strong and tempo changing. The main instruments used for a rock band are facilitated to their utmost complete. However, Anderson brings in his clever flute playing which shows audiences that rock music can be not just a bunch of loud drum playing and amazing guitar riffs.
Jethro Tull are a great rock group who have changed history, in that they use other genres and cultures to mould what is their music. The rock sounds that they produce really blow anyone away, however Andersons flute playing brings another layer to the level that rock music has. The stereotypical stance of flute playing that Anderson uses also lets us audience become aware that rock music is a great thing, it is not just a rebellion image with loud sounds; Anderson expresses it as 'artwork' and I believe he does this through his flute playing and overall creativity within Jethro Tulls songs (not to forget his amazing energy on stage).


-"In the shuffling madness, of the locomotive breath, runs the all time loser, head long to his death."

Rock: A brief history Pt.6

With the end of the 80's and the beginning of the 90's, a whole new wave of artists emerged as well as the expansion of alternative rock. In Chicago, industrial rock was beginning to take a foot hold with two of the more noticeable rock bands of the decade, Nine Inch Nails and Ministry.

Hard rock was still ruler in the aftermath of the grunge movement and bands such as Korn, Stone Temple Pilots and Tool were all adding to the rock movement of the 1990's. Grunge was still a defining genre of rock in the 90's however, and groups such as Nirvana defined the early 1990's with their music. By the end of the decade, Britain was being overrun by Brit-pop, which spawned bands such as the Verve, Oasis, and Radiohead.

Los Angeles may have seen the peak of heavy metal in the 1990's with super star groups such as Metallica, Jane's Addiction, and Guns N' Roses all packing in arenas for thousands of screaming fans. The success of Van Halen and Guns N' Roses in the early part of the decade led to the sustained success of Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, U2, and Metallica. This wave of heavy metal soon saw a split into a multitude of sub genres; grind metal, death metal, doom metal and funk rock were showcasing bands across the West Coast with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine in Los Angeles and Primus and Faith No More in San Fransisco. During this time, it was heavy metal phenomenon Marilyn Manson that put life back into the genre.

Although pop-punk was born in Los Angeles, it saw its peak elsewhere, with Green Day in San Fransisco and Pegboy in Chicago. This genre also saw the success of groups such as The Offspring, Weezer and Blink-182. This slew of pop-punk bands would soon begin to merge with emotional rock and eventually lead to the emo movement of the new millennium.

Another genre of music that saw a huge movement in the 1990's was ska. After having brewed underground during most of the 80's, bands such as Rancid, The Might Might Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, and Sublime began to discover huge followings. Emerging from this type of music came a more pop-ska genre that gained a bit more attention with groups like No Doubt and Smash Mouth. Hardcore followers of ska were still held satisfied with Less Than Jake and Catch-22 gaining popularity on the underground scene.

The Main Ingredient to Rock Music: The Electric Guitar

The electric guitar is a musical instrument that is used frequently in many rock songs. It is one of the main ingredients that constitutes a rock sound and the rock image. An electric guitar is a form of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-corded strings, into an electric current, which is generally made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker.

Some examples of rock musicians who frequently use the electric guitar are Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix, John Lennon, Dave Grohl and Angus Young to name a few. The electric guitar is used prominently to create electrifying, hard hitting sounds in guitar lead breaks and rhythms in songs.

The electric guitar was first used by Jazz guitarists, who facilitated amplified hollow-bodied instruments to produce a louder sound in the Swing-era, Big Bands. The earliest electric guitars made were created by the company Rickenbecker, to follow was Les Paul who created the famous Fender Esquire in the early 1950's.

In the early 1960's some rock guitarists began to explore the multiple sounds that the electric guitar can produce. The first example being Jimmy Page's clever use in the song "Dazed and Confused." Page simply distorted the sound of his twelved stringed, double-neck guitar by using a violin bow and changing the volume through the pre-amplifier. The sound created by Page's use of the violin bow simply creates an edgy and fuzzy sound, which encourages the theme of the song to come through within the song.

Today, there are many forms of the electric guitar that one can buy for their rock band. According to musical instrument expert Phil Jack, owner of Music Headquarters in Newcastle, the solid body electric guitars are most popular in purchase. The solid body electric guitars have no hollow internal cavity that creates vibration, and there are no holes to accomodate string vibration. The most common well known solid body electric guitar was invented by the very famous Les Paul. An example is the typical "sunburst" that is used by musicians such as Jimmy Page and formely also Eric Clapton. Other forms of the electric guitar are seen in semi-acoustic, acoustic, semi-string, twelve string and eight and nine string.

To accomodate one's preffered rock sound, they must experiement and try out as many electric guitars as they can. The electric guitar can be studied extremely easily today, through music shops situated in Newcastle; Music Headquarters at Lambton and Muso's Corner in Newcastle city. A rock musician can also study their electric guitars as easy in a magazine. The most common being the "Guitar" magazine which is released monthly and has direct details about all kinds of guitars, guitar players and music shops where stock can be purchased from.

Without the electric guitar, we today would not have rock songs such as "Foxy Lady" by Jimi Hendrix or "Times like these" by the Foo Fighters. The sounds of the electric guitar has encapsulated the imagery and pure nature as to what is rock music.

Rock: A brief history Pt.5

Just as the 60's and 70's defined what we know today as rock music, it was perhaps the 1980's that gave birth to the myriad of sub-genres of rock.

Punk rock began to evolve in the 1980's into a more hardcore scene, and groups such as the Misfits in New York, the Lemonheads in Boston, and Fugazi in Washington began terrorizing their local scenes. The West Coast had its share of the hardcore punk scene, however it was not near as violent, with groups such as Black Flag, X, and The Dead Kennedy's remaining more experimental. This experimental type of punk began the emergence of a new generation of bands with roots in what is called beach punk.

Meanwhile, the southeast was giving rise to a new genre of rock with the emergence of two notable bands, REM and the B-52's. This new form of melodic rock was a mix between folk-rock and pop and culminated into what is now known as college rock.

Neo-rock bands were now beginning to sprout up everywhere, with acts in Boston and New York such as the Band of Susans and the Pixies, known for the genre of rock with was labeled grunge. But it was in Seattle that saw the re-emergence of hard rock and the boom of this new form of grunge rock with acts such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.

Punk rock was beginning to take flight on its own, and bands began to experiment with different sounds and led the music on a path of its own. Psychedelics in the age of punk rock led to the creation of The Butthole Surfers in Texas, the Flaming Lips in Oklahoma,and Phish in New England.

On a completely different level, another street phenomena was taking place, but it wasn't in the recording studios or on the radios quite yet. It started in the ghettos and gradually took over the streets all across America. Hip-hop was revolutionizing the music scene and with bands such as The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Public Enemy bridging the gap between hip-hop and rock.

Across the ocean, Britain was taking a different course in perhaps the opposite direction. Bands began creating simpler, more commercial music. It began with vaguely robotic sounds that gradually evolved into more pop music, and eventually turned into what is now known as synth-pop, music that was typically played on electronic instruments and sung by female or gay singers, although are a notable exceptions. Of the many bands that were successful in this area, perhaps the two most notable bands were The Depeche Mode and The Pet Shop Boys. From this music also came the outrageously successful Irish group U2.

Rock: A brief history Pt.4

With the seventies came the deaths of The Doors' Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and the cooling down of rock music. After the hectic 60's, a new form of rock nirvana was proposed by Dylan with the re-emergence of country rock, bringing successful groups such as the Eagles. Raggae was becoming more mainstream thanks to the work of Bob Marley and funk was becoming even more experimental with acts such as George Clinton's band. Soon hard rock and heavy metal began a genre of its own, spitting out acts such as AC/DC, Aerosmith, KISS, Ruch, Journey, Blue Oyster Cult and Van Halen.

As the 70's began, a new generation of singer songwriters led a musical phenomenon that was a direct descendant of the previous generations intellectual ambitions. Artists such Tim Buckley, Lou Reed, Neil Young, and perhaps most famous, Bruce Springsteen established a genre of music that united the classical composer of the old days with the folksinger.

The 70's was a time of slowing for the rock movement, however there was two major phenomena that occurred during this time that would reshape rocks future: disco music and punk rock. Disco music was the first genre of music to use electronic instruments for commercial, mass scale music. But it was punk rock that had an even greater impact because with it came the thousands of independent record label companies jumping at the chance to promote underground artists. Soon the rock industry was split in two: mainstream rock descending from the Beatles and Elvis, and alternative rock, descending from The Grateful Dead and Zappa. Punk rock music however, was load, fast rock and roll, and soon became the moniker for all angry music.

Acts in New York such as the New York Dolls and the Ramones, playing at CBGB, made punk rock more than just a sound, they made it a way of life. In Britain, the Sex Pistols were leading the way for punk rock that had a more politically and socially justified kind of rebel music. But punk rock was not all about anarchy and rebellion, as bands the likes of the Clash and the Fall were making intellectual punk rock music, punk with a brain.

Meanwhile, across the country were bands which were rediscovering the rock and roll of the 50's and 60's. Artists such as Tom Petty, The Cars, and The Fleshtones were untouched by the experimental movement were performing for thousands of fans. Other artists such as Blondie, Talking Head, James Chance, and later, Madonna, took the idea of punk rock to the discos in New York. In Britain came the advent of dark punk rock, with bands such as the Cure, Joy Division, and Sisters of Mercy.

Just as quickly as rock had slowed at the turn of the decade, it had reawakened with the arrival of the mid-70's with a multitude of extremely talented musicians rewriting the book of rock.

Rock: A brief history Pt.3

The impact of British rock and roll on the American scene was equivalent to an atom bomb. Kids in every part of the country began picking up the guitar and playing in their garages, playing this new form of blues music with a certain vengeance. It was Bob Dylan who led the charge on the East Coast. With his first electric performances met with disappointment, it wasn't long before his music, along with the Byrds and Simon and Garfunkels folk-rock began taking off.

At the same time, the psychedelic movement began to take shape all across the country. It was this movement, merged with electric rock and the protest movement that gave shape to bands such the Velvet Underground and the Fugs, who turned rock and roll into an intellectual process. Soon, New York and San Fransisco were hot spots for psychedelic rock.

San Fransisco was becoming the mecca for a new form of rock, one that hippies flocked to. Acid rock was beginning to take shape led by bands such as Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. These bands recorded complex harmonies and improvised jams, bringing rock and roll back to the free flowing realm of jazz music. Meanwhile, Los Angeles was giving birth to rock legends of its own. Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, perhaps two of the most influential musicians of the century, were recording some of the most experimental records ever, and in the process, turning rock and roll in a serious art form. Psychedelic rock was now spreading like wildfire across the United States and began spilling over into Britain. Soon America begat bands such as The Doors and Britain was pumping out groups with names such as Pink Floyd.

The popularity of rock music helped to resurect the blues, and soon super talents such as Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin started to gain noteriety. It was also at this time that bands such as Creedance Clearwater Revival and The Doobie Brothers brought new heights to rock with the revisitation of traditional white and black music. This sudden revival movement in the rock world led to a boom in what is now called southern rock, and bands such as the Allman Brothers and Lynard Skynard were born.

Meanwhile, black music was going through a transformation of its own. Soul music was beginning to be seen as a form of party music thanks to musical acts such as the Supremes. Even rhythm and blues was mutated into an eccentric form of music called funk, which found its home with grand performers like James Brown.

There are many, many more groups who deserve mentioning when it comes to rock and roll in the 1960's. Groups the likes of Jethro Tull, Van Morrison and Cat Stevens helped define many of the sub genres of rock and roll, while experimentation by groups in the 60's led to new forms of rock that had never been heard, or even attempted before. It is true that the 1960's were the classical age of rock and roll.

Rock: A brief history Pt.2

Rock and roll was beginning to take off, but there was still something more needed. This 'something more' came from somewhere unexpected: the underground blues clubs of Britain. Throughout the early sixties, Britain had a poor music scene. Musicians were imitating Presley, and doing a poor job of it. Mainly, the British didn't associate with the rebel attitude of rock and roll, and shunned it. However, the seeds had already been planted in underground blues clubs across the country. Throughout the 50's these blues clubs flourished throughout London, although almost every major city in England had a weekly blues gig. It was these English blues musicians that took blues music, and turned it into some truly innovative. Emphasizing the refrain of the call and response, speeding up the rhythm guitar, extending choruses and adding vocal harmony, these British blues musicians were playing music that was as deeply felt as the American blues.

It was the loyalists to this scene that led to the formation of bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and the Animals. The Rolling Stones were a huge hit in London and went on to record some of the most succesful songs of the era. The Yardbirds were doing things that had never been done before, and was an experimental band and also a training ground for three of the greatest guitar players in history: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimi Page. Unfortunately, the Yardbirds split up, but it was through the death of this band that two revolutionary groups were born: Cream and Led Zeppelin. Both bands set the bar when they began to play what some might call very loud blues. Cream's lengthy solos and Led Zeppelins insane guitar riffs created what is now the very heart of rock music.

At the same time in Liverpool, George Martin was working with both Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Beatles. The Beatles stood out in stark comparison to the underground clubs dominant in England at the time. However, it was just this type of change that was needed to shift the industry, and the Beatles stole the momentum from the blues scene and turned their music into a mass media attration. It was here that rock music became a major business.

Soon came the second generation of rock groups with bands such as the Kinks and The Who beginning to pop up. Both of these groups recorded and published concept albums and rock operas, such as "Tommy" by the Who. This type of music intermingled the sounds of British operetta with that of rock. While melodic rock was still popular, it was The Who's magnificently amplified guitars that began to lead the way to rocks harder future. The Rolling Stones were writing songs about the punks and working class of England The Who were writing songs about the frustrated urban youth, and the Kinks were writing about the life and times of living in ordinary England. Together, these three bands formed a complete picture of that time and would unknowingly influence generations of rock bands for decades to come.

Rock: A brief history Pt.1

Rock and roll has a fairly short history compared to the centuries old traditions of classical music. Finding its roots just over half a century ago, rock and roll music has now become household, with groups springing up all over the world. Over the next couple of articles, I will explore a brief history of rock and roll beginning in the 1950's until now.

The year was 1955, and Chuck Berry was a black man playing black music. As Bob Dylan put it, times were changing, and white kids were beginning to pick up listening to rhythm and blues, and white bands everywhere were mixing their country music with this new form of playing. This new form of music was what the kids of the day were looking for, and these artists epitomized the youth's dream of anticonformity. The music industry soon picked up on this trend and realized that there was a white market for black music, and racial barriers and racism could not stand in the way of progress. Rock and roll became an overnight success story. Soon, recoding studios began to promote white celebrity artists such as Elvis Presley. But as talented as Elvis might have been, it was the real heroes like Chuck Berry we have to thank for the birth of rock and roll. It was these black artists that best represnted the connection between the audience and the performer. Unfortunately, these black artists' careers were often short lived as white artists began recording, often covering songs first written by obscure black artists.

Soon rock music began to lose it's fire and passion, becoming what some might call a little soft toward the end of the 1950's. Artists such as The Everly Brothers, Duan Eddy, and Buddy Holly began mixing in country music side by side with rock. Soon, however, the youth identified with a new style of music, music that dealt with the problems of the system, such as the Vietnam War and civil rights. Arguably one of the most influential artists of the era, Bob Dylan led the charge against "The Man" with simple songs a poetic lyrics. An entire generation followed him as he sang about the changing times.

During the same time in California, a group known as The Beach Boys led commercial rock music onto a new path, and soon surf music was invented. This was still rock and roll, however, surf music incorporated something previously not done before, sophisticated vocal harmonies. California and The Beach Boys had their own idea for rock, and established the music for having fun and parties. Briding the gap between Doo-Wop and rock, this form of rock and roll turned out to be a great way to bring the melodic aspect of music into rock and roll.

Coldplay

Coldplay is a British alternative rock band that was formed in 1998. The band consists of Chris Martin (guitar, vocalist, keyboardist), Jonny Buckland (lead guitarist), Guy Berryman (bassist) and Will Champion (drummer, backing vocalist, multi-instrumentalist).

They have released 4 albums thus far starting with Parachutes, which featured Yellow. Then came “A Rush of Blood to the Head” which won multiple awards. X&Y was released in 2005, which got bad reviews in which The New York Times said “the most insufferable band of the decade.” Finally their big seller Viva la Vida was release in 2008, which sold over 50 million albums. Viva La Vida was their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and from there on out won many awards.

They are currently on tour around the world and I recently went to see them in Sydney for the sound relief concert, which is only one of many charity projects they performed at. After seeing them at that concert, I would go see them again in a heartbeat. They were really good live performers that got the audience into their music. 

Rolling Stone is a US magazine that started in 1967 in San Francisco in which it publishes every two weeks. The magazine has changed significantly since it started. It started with identifying with the hippie counterculture but rapidly moved into the politics in 1970. By 1980s the publication operation was moved to New York to be closer advertizing and financial industry centers. It is now devoted to music, politics and popular culture. The magazine is known for its diversity content, although always synonymous with the rock and roll way of life. It has also started to target younger readers and offering more sex-oriented content. Although the magazine has changed, it has many of the same features as it did when it stated such as, National Affairs and Rock and Roll.

A magazine like this is a great way for artists to make a headline. “The right kind of music criticism at the right time has become an integral step in the business of selling records and sustaining a musical career" said by Brennan in the article read in week 10. The audiences that Rolling Stone gets are those interested in artists and music so whatever press you get in this magazine can either hurt or boost the ratings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stone

http://www.magazine-agent.com/rolling-stone/magazine

http://www.dtmagazine.com/cmopg1924/rs1.html

The Eagles

Desperados, Loiterers, Millionaire Misanthropes, The Boys in the Band, Greedy Bastards, The Egos, Hall of Fame Inductees or the most known, The Eagles are one of the most popular rock bands of all time. They are under the rock and roll hall of fame as well as receiving many music awards on top of that. The members of the band consisit of: Don Felder (guitar), Glenn Frey(guitar, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals), Bernie Leadon(guitar, mandolin, banjo), Randy Meisner (bass, vocals), Timothy Schmit (bass, vocals), and Joe Walsh (guitar, vocals).  They all met up in Los Angeles in 1971 when they came up with many hit songs which eventually led to them going on concert in 1971. They made 5 albums together but by the middle of making the 6^th album, The Long Run, they had hit a breaking point. “The peak of the eagles was around the time of Hotel California,” noted Henley in an interview in 1982.

After breaking off for a while, The Eagles decided to do a comeback tour in 1994. They recorded a new song as well as played a total or 12 songs from the past. It was a success, which eventually let them to create their greatest hits 1971-1975 CD that sold 26 million copies. The Eagles were nominated for a 2008 CMA Award in the Vocal Group of the Year category in the 2008 CMAs and is currently going on tour now.

If you don’t consider the Eagle as one of the most well known and successful rock groups, I don’t know what you would consider successful. If I had the money, I would love to see them in concert. The tickets are currently going for $200 a piece throughout the world.

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/the-eagles

http://www.eaglesband.com/news.php

http://www.eaglesfans.com/band/members.htm

The Impact of Rock Music

The term 'rock music' is loosely defined as a genre of music that entered the popular music world during the mid to late 1950's. The basic sounds of rock music orginate from the sounds of the electric and acoustic guitar, with a strong backing of bass guitar and drums.

The early 1950's saw the new wave of 'rock and roll' hit the music scene; artists such as Bill Haley and Chuck Berry stole this era in music. To now in 2009 we see rock music mixed with electronic sounds; MGMT is an example of an electronic rock band.

Although what kind of impact has rock music in general made upon its audience to date? Rolling Stone magazine describes the impact as being, "unique and dominating..." but really has rock music impacted the way some of us live? Has it impacted our emotions and our moods? Has it helped us through tough and terrible situations? Yes, I strongly believe that it has.

Silverchair are an essentially rock based group of musicians, they released their album "Neon Ballroom" in 1999, encased was the hit single, "Anthem for the year 2000;" This song was a perfect depiction of the youthful energy that rock music can bring oneself. The impact on popular music was huge, the song soared to number three on the music charts and it became a type of anthem for rock grunge lovers of the 20th Century.

The impact of rock music has written one of the biggest chapters in the history of music in our time. Rock music has brought us the concept of music festivals such as "Woodstock." We now can watch on DVD concerts and festivals such as "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" and see how rock music shaped a mass culture. This particular DVD is interesting in that it depicts the impact of rock music in a character form. We see Mick Jagger dressed as the circus master and a whole audience dressed in "tents" dancing non stop to the sounds of Jethro Tull and The Rolling Stones. The impact of the rockin' 60's I believe is one of the most influential in music history to date.

One of the biggest impacts in rock music is in none other the less Aaron Elvis Presely. In the interesting book entitled "The story of Rock" Buddy Holly quotes, "if it wasn't for Elvis we wouldn't be doing what we do today." Elvis Presely allowed a type of rebellion to come through in his music which has today, defined in stone the elements of rock music. The impact of rock music has clearly been a cultural and social one. It has given its audience members a clear idea of how great and influential this genre of music can and has been.

Writing A 'Hit' Rock Song

And so the age old question - what is the formula for writing a chart-topping rock song? Of course there are various opinions floating around out there in cyber space (and maybe even in real earth space!) on how to create a 'hit', but in my opinion, the most crucial idea to writing a great song is all about time and place. A hit song cannot be forced, it must be a natural process. Musicians must know when they are feeling creative. In my case, my creativity is at its peak when I haven't touched the guitar for a few days. Taking a step back from consistent playing and then strumming away after a break really helps to get those creative juices going.

Dave Byers, founder of writingsongs.com, believes that one of the three things a song needs to impress the listener is that it contains an "interesting lyric that draws the listener in". As you may have noticed from prior posts, the significance I place on lyrics is not great and I certainly do not think that this is an essential part to creating a great tune. More conducive to my opinions, Keane Li of the website Guitarnoise.com pushes the importance of creating the guitar riff or chord progression first and then allowing lyrics to flow from the inspiration of the music.

An important aspect to consider when creating that 'hit' rock song is to not get bogged down in the form but rather to enhance the melody. Many songwriter's worry too much about trying to make a guitar riff sound technical or different. This is unnecessary, the primary focus should be to making a song sound as melodic as possible and not it's ability to surprise the listener. Another idea to consider is to keep the intro succinct. The average listener doesn't usually have much patience and it is important to hook the listener in early. In fact, most professionals believe that an intro length of around 13 seconds is ideal (Bakshi, 2007).

Song length is worth considering. The most popular rock songs run from between 3 and 4 and a half minutes. You don't want to make it too short or it's impression will not last long enough but you especially do not want to make it too long or your song will lost its 'punch'. We can't all make epic 'Stairway to Heaven's' or 'Bohemian Rhapsody's' and the odds are that attempting to do so will not result in the 'hit' song you are after.

In the end, there is no real formula or solution to creating a successful rock song. Measures can be taken such as the ones discussed to improve the chances of creating such a song but at the end of the day, luck plays the definitive role to the outcome of your song. All we can do is practice, practice and practice.

Europe pushes for more online rights from the music industry

Since the inception of the internet, the music industry has been playing catch up with file pirates across the world. The ability to download any file at the click of the mouse has the music industry trying to make up for billions of dollars of lost revenue. European antitrust regulators are currently attempting to change current licenses which prevent online music stores such as iTunes from offering the same songs for sale across Europe. With cd sales down and online music store downloads far behind that of the United States, online music stores in Europe are prevented from setting up a single online entity for music sales across Europe.

The problem lies with the way licenses are set up in Europe. Music licenses are sold seperately for each country in Europe, so online stores such as iTunes are forced to purchase licenses from each European member state in which it wishes to sell music and set up a seperate online store for the licenses purchased in that country. This sets up a huge barrier for musicians in Europe wishing to utilize online music stores to market their music.

The way musicians make their money is to register their music with a collective rights manager. These managers then take the licensed song and sell them to radio stations, online stores, clubs and other outlets. As of last July, collecting socities - publishers and music copyright groups - in Europe had a system of contracts which only allowed artists to be able to collect revenue from an agency based in their own country. Some artists believe that altering the current licencing on their music will leave them missing out on income generated from an increase of music sales. The benefits of music consumption through the internet for the mass audience is endless. As opposed to just a few years ago, local bands can now market and sell their music to a worldwide audience, finding sudden success online much easier.

Although the music industry has tried to shut down online pirating of music, hackers have always stayed one step ahead. Making music more available to the mass audiences, such as the case with Europe, will not end the plundering of files by online pirates. What it does do is allow for the creative dissemination of music to the world - albeit at a price - allowing for anyone with a little creative spirit to make a little money by spreading their music to the world.

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWr1JKP9Sr8BdvJZzN3QwTx5fYjgD98DSOA81
Picture: http://www.engadget.com/tag/music+store/

-Kris

History of Rock through Films

1. The Birth of Rock (Blues-based Rock 1963-1970) – Rock revolution seen through the life of Jimi Hendrix. Explores the influences of rhythm and blues through the Rolling Stones and other artists.
2. White Light, White Heat (Art Rock 1966-1980) – It shows how rock became a way for artistic ideas and theatrical performances to enter rock music. This show follows Pink Floyd and David Bowie.
3. Blank Generation (Punk 1973-1980) – The diversity of London and New York, the music made a fundamental shift. This show shows the differences between them through a couple different bands.
   
4. Never Say Die (Heavy Metal 1971-1991) – Shows the controversial genre of heavy metal rock. Follows the highs and lows of the Black Sabbath we well as Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica.
   
5. We are the Champions (Stadium Rock 1965-1993) – Follows the development of Queen, Bruce Springsteen, The Police and Dire Straits as well as the rise of MTV and how culture and politics have influenced rock throughout the years.
   
6. Left of the Dial (Alternative Rock 1980-1994) – Takes a look of the rise of alternative rock in the USA. Explores the Seattle scene as well at the tragic loss of Kurt Conain.
   
7. What the World is Waiting For (Indie 1980-2007) - Shows how Indie lost its intimacy and integrity at the Oasis Knebworth in 1996 and how it is returning to it roots with bands such as Franz Ferdinand who is in most clubs and bars now. 
   

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/

Top rock festivals in the world

Every year there are thousands of concerts, festivals and shows put on by artists trying to get their music out to the masses. To try and make even a small percentage of these shows would be humanly impossible, but luckily for us, their are dedicated groups of people who are willing to spend the time and effort into putting on music festivals on a grand scale. Here are some of top rock music festivals (in no particular order) in the world along with a bit of information on each.

Roskilde Festival

Perhaps one of the oldest and most celebrated rock music festivals in the world, the festival began in 1971 and is held in Roskilde, Denmark. Last year more than 170 bands attracted more than 80,000 fans. (http://goscandinavia.about.com/od/annualeventstraditions/qt/roskildefestivl.htm) Featured artists include The Smashing Pumpkins, Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, and Nine Inch Nails. Every year on Saturday, the festival features the "Roskilde Naked Run", with the winner receiving tickets to next years festival . Roskilde usually runs for a week and is held in summer at the beginning of July.

Rockstar Mayhem Festival

Beginning in 2008, Rockstar Mayhem Festival may bring some of the loudest, hardest rock bands to cities all across the US. The first festival featured artists such as Slipknot and Disturbed, while this years lineup headlines with Marliyn Manson, Slayer and Killswitch Engage. The festival runs from July to August.

Rock on the Range

Bringing rock bands together for one weekend every year, Rock on the Range sets up its stages in Columbus, Ohio. The festivals motto, "Where rock lives," holds true, with bands such as Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Kid Rock and Hinder performing on stage. With ticket sales growing every year, Rock on the Range will bring an additional tour date for Canadian residents to rock their faces off.

Reading Festival

Taking it's name from the location of the festival, Reading, England, the Reading Festival takes place every year during the last weekend in August. Rock bands from all genres have made appearances, and this year is no excpetion with groups such as Kings of Leon, Eagles of Death Metal and Deftones to play on stage. One of the more memorable moments came in 1992 when Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was brought onstage in a wheelchair, hinting at rumors of his addiction to drugs and declining health. (http://www.readingfestival.com/home/index.aspx)

Ozzfest

Possibly one of the most famous hard rock and metal festivals in the world, Ozzfest is run by ex-Black Sabbath member Ozzy Osbourne. Beginning in 1996, the festival grew in popularity as it went from a weekend festival to a traveling tour. Some highlights include bands such as Tool, Velvet Revolover, and System of a Dowm. However, the festival has shown signs of slowing in the last couple years, in 2008 the festival was only a one-day show, and Ozzy has said that it will not run in 2009, as he is working on a new studio album. Plans are already in the making for a 2010 tour. (http://www.ozzfest.com/)

Lollapalooza

Started in the early 1990's by Jane's Addictions frontman Perry Farrel, Lolloapalooza originally was a touring festival featuring on rock bands such as Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine. However it was relaunched in 2005 as weekend festival taking place in Grant Park, Chicago and has been reworked to include a wider variety of musical acts, with Kanye West and the Hold Steady taking the stages.

Projekt Revolution

Debuting in 2002, Projekt Revolution does not occur every year, it depends on the availability of the events' organizers, Linkin Park. When the event does take place, however, it debuts a solid foundation of rock and hip-hop artists from around the world. The aim of this festival is to infuse the best of two worlds, rock and hip-hop, into one musical entity. Featured performers include Chris Cornell, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and Korn and has now expanded its tour dates to include cities in Europe.

Not to be confused about drugs

Following the last post, I thought I would clarify a few things...namely songs which many people think are about drugs, but which have nothing to do with drugs at all.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Beatles

Likewise, with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" many people think it is about LSD, even the title spells LSD, but John says about the title, "...I swear to God...I had no idea spelled LSD." (Rolling Stone Interviews, Wenner, Jann S. Back Bay Books, 2007) Lennon got the inspiration for the song from a drawing by John Lennon's son, Julian, which he entitled "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Beatles

Many people think this song was written about heroin, which can make sense if lyrics are taken at face value, yet John Lennon has been quoted saying that the song is simply no more then a quote taken from the cover of a gun magazine. The term 'warm gun' simply means that you just shot something.

Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix

Another song that is commonly thought of as a drug song, Purple Haze is thought to be about the strain of marijuana with the same name. Another interpretation is that the song is about a form of LSD common during that time which was sold in a purple capsule, called Delysid. (Miller, Richard Lawrence (2002). Drugs of abuse : a reference guide to their history and use). In fact this song is about a dream which Hendrix had in which he was walking around under the sea and his faith in Jesus saves him. An early manuscript of the song had the title as "Purple Haze, Jesus Saves." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_haze#Common_Mondegreen) "I dream a lot and I put a lot of my dreams down as songs. I wrote one called 'First Around the Corner' and another called 'The Purple Haze,' which was all about a dream I had that I was walking under the sea," said Hendrix in a 1969 interview with the New Musical Express. (Shapiro and Glebbeek, Jimi Hendrix, Electric Gypsy, 148)

Puff the Magic Dragon - Peter, Paul and Mary

The song, which was brought up in the movie "Meet the Parents", has long been thought by many people to be about smoking marijuana. Taking the lyrics, people have reinterpreted the words in the song to mean something else, such as the words 'puff' and respelling 'Dragon' as 'draggin,' both interpreted as imagery to smoking a joint. Since the beginning, the band has stated adamantly that the song is not related to drugs at all. Peter Yarrow, one of the band members has stated that "Puff" is about the hardships of growing older and has no relationship to drug-taking. He has also said of the song that it "never had any meaning other than the obvious one". ( Puff, the Magic Dragon at Snopes.com)

Drugs Don't Work - The Verve

This song is not about the lack of effect that drugs may have had on composer Richard Ashcroft, instead it is about his father and the drugs he was taking. The song talks about the use of the cancer drugs that were suppoed to be making his father better and keep him alive longer, but instead how the drugs were not working and making him worse.

-Kris

Songs about drugs

Many people love the rock n' roll lifestyle because of the image it portrays. The saying 'sex, drugs and rock n' roll' have held a certain mystique with the "ordinary" people, always wondering what the rockers life would be like. But that saying has put sex and drugs before the music, and many rock stars of our time have done just that with their lives, and have told us about it through their lyrics, giving us a glimpse into the rockers world for at least one song. The following is a list of popular rock songs that have been written about drugs and drug use.

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said:
"Feed your head
Feed your head
Feed your head"

The lyrics obviously point to the use of psychedelic drugs, and compares the hallucinogenic nature of these drugs, such as magic mushrooms, with images from the books by Lewis Carol, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." Grace Slick, who wrote the song, said it was a response toward parents who asked their kids why they were taking drugs.

Jane Says - Jane's Addiction

This song is about a heroin addict who used to live with the lead singer of Jane's Addiction. The song talks about this addict who, by day, works in an office, and by night, uses heroin. Their are references to drugs in the song, such as "kick," which means to stop using.

Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Although this song may not at first seem like it has to do with drugs, their is an underlying interpretation. The song deals with the celebration of death and rebirth, and talks about the bands situation before they released Californication when their guitarist, John Frusciante, left the group and spent the following six years as a drug addict, at one point almost dying, before he became clean and rejoined the group.

Mother's Little Helper - The Rolling Stones

Kids are different today, I hear ev'ry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill, there's a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day

This song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and deals with the darker side of prescription drugs and the housewives who were abusing them.

Last Dance With Mary Jane - Tom Petty

The lyrics in this song talk about Mary Jane, a slang term often used to talk about marijuana. Although many people think this song was written deliberately about smoking weed, when asked, guitarist Mike Campbell said, "My take on it is it can be whatever you want it to be. A lot of people think it's a drug reference, and if that's what you want to think, it very well could be, but it could also just be a goodbye love song." (http://www.songfacts.com/int/2008/01/mike-campbell.html)

Got to Get You Into My Life - The Beatles

Unfortunately, this song is not a love song to some girl. Instead, this song is about marijuana and Paul McCartney wanting to bring a little more of the drug into his life.

Cocaine - Eric Clapton

Don't confuse this song as Eric Clapton's way of telling people to use drugs, it is not. In fact, this song is actually an anti-drug statement, adding the line 'that dirty cocaine' into his live shows to emphasize the anti-drug message. Clapton says, "It’s no good to write a deliberate anti-drug song and hope that it will catch. Because the general thing is that people will be upset by that. It would disturb them to have someone else shoving something down their throat. So the best thing to do is offer something that seems ambiguous—that on study or on reflection actually can be seen to be ‘anti’—which the song "Cocaine" is actually an anti-cocaine song. If you study it or look at it with a little bit of thought... from a distance... or as it goes by... it just sounds like a song about cocaine. But actually, it is quite cleverly anti-cocaine." (The Best of Everything Show, with Dan Neer)

The Doors

Although not a song, the bands name itself is related to drugs. The name 'The Doors' is a reference to a book originally written by Aldous Huxley named "The Doors of Perception." Huxley wrote this book about his experiences with the drug mescaline.

Although there are hundreds of songs written about drugs and drug use, it is beyond the scope of this blog to detail them all. However, someone has done it for you, and if you are interested to read into it more, you can check out Mojo Magazine's Top 100 drug songs of all time at this link: http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=171187&show=25&start=75.

-Kris

Females in the Rock Industry

Do you ever wonder why rock music industry is dominated by males? What ever happened to the females? Many people believe that females should not be in the music industry but others believe that gender shouldn’t matter. What’s the right answer?

I believe that there is no answer. In the late 70s rock music was becoming very popular. Many bands were trying out different types of music as well as females where entering into the music industry.

One rock band that came up a lot when I was researching was Fanny. They are a rock group that formed in the 1970. The group consists of four females that broke down the barrier for female musicians in rock. They never became superstars but ended up receiving a couple or awards later on for their achievements. David Bowie had this to say about them in 1999, "One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace. And that is Fanny. They were one of the finest fucking rock bands of their time..."

Female artists do get judged in so many ways, but the ones that come out of the piles are the ones that you know will succeed. And that is what happened with the band Fanny!

AC/DC still on top of the rock ladder

Bon Scott sung the lyrics- "Let there be light, sound, drums, guitar... Let there be rock!" What better way to put it. Let there be rock, and that is exactly what AC/DC have and are still doing today. The band today is made up of Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Malcom Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. AC/DC have produced 'rock anthems' that have captured the world, songs like; 'It's a long way to the top,' 'Highway to Hell' and 'You shook me all night long,' the list is evidentially endless.

Bon Scott was the band's first lead singer, who tragically passed away in 1980. Scott's great voice is heard on many tracks such as 'High Voltage' and 'Whole lotta Rosie.' However since, Brian Johnson has lead the band for a number of years and produced sales in album records. The band released the album "Black Ice," in 2008 and soon will kick off their Australian wide live tour. With their hard guitar riffs and pure rock anthems, AC/DC will perform at their greatest and show Australia that they are proud to be home.

Record sales in concert tickets have shocked ticket holders, for instance in Western Australia (Bon Scott's home town), concert promoters have asked the band to stage a third show following record ticket sales. The concert has been named by the West Australian paper as the fastest concert sold in Australian history. The first Perth concert sold out in just seven minutes, beating Sydney fans that purchased the last ticket to Sydney in just fifteen minutes.

The show itself requires forty-eight semi trailers to cart the stage, equipment and needs. I personally, couldn't think of a better way to bring one of Australia's greatest rock bands back home. For you Bon, let there be rock....!!!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cleveland, Ohio. It dedicates the best-known and most influential musicians of rock and roll. The first induction ceremony was held in 1986, which included Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Fats Domino.

To be inducted into the Hall of Fame, it does not take place until around 25 years after your first album as recorded. There are a couple of different categories that you can be recognized in: Performers (five each year), Non-Performers (one each year), Early Influences, and Sideman.

There are a few controversial issues relating to the hall of fame. One being that the Hall of Fame and Museum was chosen to be placed in Cleveland. There could have been a better city chosen that would have a more musical background but because Cleveland had the best financial package, it was placed there. Another criticism that the Hall of Fame has is the nomination process. Many of the individuals that chose the nominees do not even have a musical background.

There are many controversies but I believe that the hall of fames has all of the favorites and well performed artists and bands. I think that many people have different opinions when it comes to music and when it comes down to it, there are many different people voting and the majority wins. The Hall of Fame is one of the finest awards you can receive and would love to meet some of the people in it. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame

Green Day

Green Day was formed in 1987 as an American rock trio. The band consists of Billy Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirny (bass guitar, vocals) and Tre Cool (drums, percussion). It first breakthrough album come in 1994 with Dookie. With that album, Green Day won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and was nominated for nine MTV Music Awards. It ended up having a falling out with a couple albums not doing so well, Nimrod and Warning. But in 2004, Green Day created the American Idiot ablum, which topped the charts right away. In 2005 they went on the longest tour of their careers. They visited Japan, Australia, South America and the UK. In 2006, Green Day won another Grammy Award for Record of the Year for Boulevard of Broken Dream that spent 16 weeks at the number one position on the Billboards. They have recently come out with a new album 21^st Century Breakdown and is on tour now for that album.

This band is an example of a different type of rock. This more modern type of rock is very different from the rock of ACDC and The Eagles but is considered rock. As stated by Eriling in an article we read for week 5, “The genesis of genre is therefore to be found in our natural and irrepressible tendency to classify.” We as individuals have to classify between two different types of rock, whether it be ACDC or Green Day, they are both considered Rock but have different sounds. 

Led Zeppelin were made up of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Jon Paul Jones and John Bonham. They each brought an amazing musical element to the band, whether it was John Bonham's 'animal' like skills on drums, to Jimmy Page's all time guitar playing skills, or Jon Paul Jones' eery clever piano sounds or to the driving, mind-blowing voice of Robert Plant. Led Zeppelin as a band boosted rock music to it's all time greatest.
Led Zeppelin's fourth album was released in 1971, no title and no name, just the band's logos were placed on the cover. Within that album lay the track, "Stairway to Heaven." The song goes for an incredible eight minutes, where some describe it as the 'eight minute miracle.' Stairway to Heaven, was voted #3 in 2000 by VH1 on their list of the 100 Greatest Rock Songs.It is the most requested song on FM radio stations in the United States, despite never having been released as a single there. In November 2007, through download sales promoting Led Zeppelin's Mothership release, the song hit #37 on the UK Singles Chart.
So is Stairway to Heaven one of the greatest rock songs of all time? Is it true that all rock songs have several characteristics that make it a good rock song? Well Chuck Eddy, author of "Stairway to Hell: The 500 Best Heavy Metal Albums inthe Universe:" suggests that Stairway to Heaven is one of the greatest rock songs of all time because Led Zeppelin have joined the two forms of hardrock and this sort of corny medievalism. It's tremendous. Also proof thatwords don't have to mean anything to be meaningful.
Others suggest that the lyrics enable open interpretation, however, for a true fan like myself, I believe that the song as a whole, makes it one of the greatest. Has anyone heard such a impacting guitar solo that makes you go wow everytime you hear it? I feel as though the song is written like a story, and we as the listeners are open to the introduction, story and ending so cleverly through the songs rhythmic patterns and change of melody. All units that are Led Zeppelin shine in this song. It is evident in the clever chords that Jimmy Page produces, the whistling like tune of Jon Paul Jones' keyboard, John Bonham's drums finish the song off to blow your mind, and Robert's voice is like a growing attraction.
Opinions vary however as a rock lover everyone should value the band who were Led Zeppelin.

Rock music today

What can we as an audience look for in rock music in 2009?


I don't believe that there is a formula that describes rock music in the day of 2009. Music has created sub-genres that have influenced, changed and created new music, sounds and lyrics. Personally for me, I hear the music of the Foo Fighters and instantly think thankgoodness for them, if we as an audience were without them rock music would probably not exist. However, is this only because, my rock music tastes surround the likes of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin? Both of these bands produce a forceful, hard hitting sound, therefore are my music tastes producing my idea of a good rock group in 2009? Well yes, I believe they are. Musical bands such as Coldplay, who live, are one of the greatest I have ever seen, produce less forceful hard hitting music, however they are described as an "alternative rock group." Therefore, in 2009 I believe that the elements to rock music have intensely grown due to the formulation of sub-genres and new ideas. The leading singer/man Chris Martin once described Coldplay's music as "limestone rock."




The change in rock music is a tremendous and life-changing one. Sub-genres like punk, grunge, blues, and even as Martin describes as "limestone," have emulated and formed the comprimisation of rock music today. I truly wonder what rock music will be like in twenty to thirty years, will musicians be going back to the times of Elvis Presely and Bill Haley? Or will they formulate another new operation to what is rock music??

The Best Rock Album of 2009: A Track by Track Review

Released in Australia on March 10, 2009, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's album It's Blitz! is still the best rock album of 2009. Based on musicianship, the album surpasses more critically acclaimed rock albums of 2009 such as Greenday's 21st Century Breakdown or U2's No Line on the Horizon. The 10 track album consists of extraordinary contrasts and limited weaknesses. Here is a track by track glance:

1. Zero

The first single released off the album, Zero is a hard-hitting, appropriate opener. The song begins with an aura of quiet-confidence. The first minute contains non-ambitious vocals and a simple re-curring synth line before it stops the teasing and smothers the vocals with a heavy bass line and hard-hitting drumming. The chorus is fairly unassuming with the real power of the song in the outro, when lead singer Karen O appropriately inquires to the listener over and over again "What's your name?" Before she takes you on a journey through the album.

2. Heads Will Roll

The impressive aspect of this song lies in the lyrics. While not the most melodic of songs on the album, the music is over shadowed by echoed lyrics of "Off with your head / Dance 'til you're dead / Heads will roll, heads will roll / Heads will roll on the floor". These dire lyrics are emphasised over a simple drum beat and a simple 3-chord pattern, nothing to take the focus away from the powerful lyric.

3. Soft Shock

This is a relaxed and unassuming song with a consistent melody. The song is perhaps used merely as a bridging device for the track that is to follow.

4. Skeletons

Arguably the highlight of the album (Listen to it here). Skeletons shows a coming of age for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. It is an ambitious song which reveals the bands ability to record delicate music. The song sets the scene brilliantly with a musical backdrop of epic proportions: it sounds larger than life. Karen O barely raises her voice higher than a whisper as she yearns "Love, don't cry". It truly is one of the best rock ballads of the past decade.

5. Dull Life

This track doesn't provide the same punch as Skeletons or Zero. It tends to be more concerned with attempting to be technically different rather than driving it home with the melody. Nevertheless, the song does contain a strong build up to the final chorus as it repeats the lyric "We've seen the nightmare of your lives."

6. Shame and Fortune

This song is dominated by a heavy, distorted and reasonably simple bass line. It wouldn't break any records in terms of musicianship and could probably be placed alongside Soft Shock as the weaker songs on the album.

7. Runaway

Things pick back up to pace with this song. It is extremely melodic with a catchy, repetitive chorus. The first 2 minutes play as a soft build up to the loud and thumping 3 minutes that follow. The outro sees Karen O merely "hooo" and "aaaaah" while a wall of sound dominates the ending.

8. Dragon Queen

This song has an eerie aura to it. It is disturbing in it's low sounding vocals and funky guitar riff. It is a real like it or hate it type of song. But none can deny that the chorus is catchy and addictive.

9. Hysteric

This is another real highlight of the album (Listen to it here). It is craftily put together each part of the song being more awakening to the listener than the last. The climactic chorus is a series of "oh's" and "ah's" that lift higher and higher in tune with the backing synthesizer. When the lyrics are replaced with a trumpet in the final chorus the true beauty of the song is fulfilled.

10. Little Shadow

A slow-paced and epic closer. As the song goes on the delicate vocals become more and more engulfed in sound. It consists of verse after verse with no real deviation into a chorus. It's beauty lies within its simplicity. The album comes to a rest with Karen O asking "Little shadow, to the night will you follow me?"

Salaries in Music

There are a variety of different salaries out in the world. From accounting to sales to waiter, salaries are paid in a variety of different ways. I did some research on the web to find out how much the top sports athletes receives compared to musicians. Kevin Garnett who is a basketball player who plays for the Boston Celtics receives $24,750,000 American each year. That was the first salary that I looked up. I thought that was a ton for what they do for their job. They play the sport they love and get paid millions for it. I proceeded to look up what musicians make. Beyonce is one of the top worldwide musicians; she receives around 50,000,000 a tour. She usually does a tour every other year lets say so she makes close to $25,000,000 a year as well. I would say that either one of those jobs you are well off for the rest of your life. After seeing those results, I was curious to see what a rock stars salary was. I looked up Paul McCartney from the Beatles and he is worth 710,000,000 from his career of being a rock star. So if you are looking for a job, look into either playing a sport you love professionally or sing for your living on tours. 

http://money.uk.msn.com/guides/salarycentre/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=8913008&dub-gallery-photo-number=15

Rock Band!

Rock band allows players to perform in a virtual band by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different peripheral modeled after music instruments. These peripherals are used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen (Wikipedia).

Getting a physical in body experience while playing gets you in the mood as a player to listen to music. With all the music being rock, it gives the audience an incentive to listen to that music as well as listen to it in the future with purchases of a variety of rock artists that appear in the game.

In the game, there are a variety of different modes of playing. One I found interesting is Band World Tour Mode. It allows you to form a band with others via the Internet. You can create logos and your character and then “play” in a variety of different cities throughout the world. It is making a world wide audience with this game and shows how interesting rock music can be. 

20 songs with "rock" in the title

20 Song with “Rock” in the Title that definitely do not rock

1.     Falco- Rock me

2.     Rod Stewart- Rock

3.     Huey Lewis and the News – The Heart of Rock & Roll

4.     Shenandoah – Rock my Baby

5.     Robby Day- Rockin’ Robin

6.     B-52s – Rock Lobster

7.     Bill Haley – Rock Around the Clock

8.     Travis -  All I want to do is Rock

9.     Afrika Bambaataa -  Planet Rock

10. Janet Jackson- Rock with U

11. Lionrock – Rude Boy Rock

12. Michael Damien – Rock On

13. Def Leppard – Rock On

14. Bobby Helms – Jingle Bell Rock

15. Aretha Franklin – Rock-a-lott

16. Aaron Tippin – Ready to Rock in a country kind of way

17. Paul Kantner – The Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra

18. John Tesh – Roundball Rock

19. Herbie Hancock – Rockit

20. Billy Joel – It’s still Rock and roll to me

It is interesting that some people generalize a type of music into such a broad area. You would think rock has a distinct sound but as you can see many artists don’t even know what that is. Either that or they like the word ‘rock’ and uses it in lyrics and titles.

 

Image of Rock Stars

Many people have an image in their head of what a rock star looks like. Usually it consists of the picture to the right. The long hair with the leather jacket and pants. Usually doing something crazy. 

But that "Rock Star" look goes back to the early days of rock. It has gone through many different phases with the bell-bottom jeans to the leather jackets as the picture. The clothing has died down and now is mostly just a t-shirt with a fancy print on it. An article I found said that the wild and crazy outfits is what makes a rock star. They need to be adventurous and stick out. We have found that out in many different ways.

Another article that I found gave peoples stereotypes of rock and the ones who perform it and a lot of people thought that the people in rock are the ones who do drugs and don’t accomplish anything in life. But on that same site I found people who thought the complete opposite. I think it is funny how there is many different viewpoints on what the stereotype is and how it can be so drastic. 

What is rock music?: An answer in 8 sentences

In the simplest terms, rock music can be identified as a sub-genre of popular music which developed in America and Europe in the 1950's. Many believe Elvis Presley was one of the pioneers of rock music (Hawkins, 2009). Generally, rock music can be identified as "hard-edged music performed with electric guitars, bass, and drums and usually accompanied by lyrics sung by a vocalist." (Grierson 2007)

Rock music itself contains several sub-genres. These may include grunge bands such as Nirvana, Britpop acts such as Oasis, indie music such as The Killers, alternative music such as Smashing Pumpkins, punk rock bands such as Blink 182 or electronic bands such as Cut Copy. Essentially, the term rock music encompasses these and many other genres of today's music. Anything that cannot be classified as country, R&B, Classical or Dance music can most likely suitably be labeled as rock music. As a result, this blog page contains a wide scope for analysis and comment.