The Politics of Rock N' Roll

"Isn't it cheaper and smarter to make friends out of potential enemies than to defend yourself against them later?” If you had to guess what public figure made this statement, you might say something like Barak Obama. But what if the next quote went something like this? “I'm a lippy Irish rock star, and I'm more used to putting my foot in my mouth than my fist. So occasionally I'm just going to talk about it." That’s right. It’s Bono of U2 fame in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. Every other day the media is airing or writing about some social issue plaguing our society: the war in Iraq, Save Darfur, legalize marijuana. So what makes aging rock stars the authority on global warming or female genital mutilation? And is it ‘good for business’?

As we all know, the constitution gives us (arguably) the right to free speech in any forum. So as people, rock and rollers have the right to say anything they want. However, whether they like it or not, this doesn’t come without consequences being as they are in the public eye. Bruce Springsteen has been known to be an advocate for the ‘working man’ in the U.S. You couldn’t ask for a better anthem than Born in the U.S.A., and through The Boss’ almost 30 years of making music, he has cultivated a fan base of upper class WASPs, middle class blue collar workers, and everyone in between. So after the horrific events of September 11^th, Bruce used his outlet of music to create his album The Rising to express all the emotions that came from such a disaster. Millions of citizens around the globe were trying to find a way to handle all the confusion, anger, forgiveness, and patriotism as well, and many found it through the words and songs of The Rising. Others saw it as arrogant and ‘left wing’. Regardless, Bruce Springsteen had earned the respect of man and woman alike. Those who disagree with him politically, are still buying front row tickets to his concerts and making sure he keeps selling platinum records.

Now, some artists have put a little muscle behind their words. Bono, for example has been a spokesman and delegate for several world issues, including schools in Africa, and the crisis in Darfur. This type of commitment and passion offers a bit more credibility than the pop star who wears their LiveStrong bracelet out to NYC’s hottest club. Bono has done his research. He has lived in the African huts, and seen the children affected by malaria and AIDS first hand, not just on CNN. It is a fine line to walk, political advocacy. As a celebrity, you can run the risk of looking pompous and cliché. But Bono’s soft-spoken but concrete actions start turning the wheels of change. He doesn’t need to hold a press conference so the general public knows what good work he’s doing for the world. He is meeting with world leaders in private, and establishing charity groups which he advertises during HIS OWN shows. Like Springsteen, U2 will continue to sell out shows and stay the music legend they always have been.

Some bands take a riskier approach to their cause. It is hip right now to take a stand against something. An easy target is the war in Iraq and the U.S. president. So when Linkin Park released their third original studio album Minutes to Midnight, it was surprisingly angry and sent a strong message about the government. The band is relatively green and even though they exploded with their first album in 2001, have a massive following of young and old alike. So to push the boundaries of the norm and create songs that attack the president, Hurricane Katrina, and Iraq could have blown up in their screaming into the microphone face. With lines like ‘Have respect for a leader so nervous in an obvious way/ stuttering and mumbling for nightly new to replay/ and the rest of the world watching at the end of the day/ in their living room laughing like what did he say’ it leaves no doubt what where their intentions lie. So why was this one of the greatest albums of 2007, both critically and in sales? It was a risky move, and in true Linkin Park fashion the band said ‘screw it’ and made the album anyway. I guess it goes to show, you really do have to play big to win big. And win big they did, with a multi-platinum record. The Dixie Chicks were not so lucky with their statement about George W. Bush. Concerts had to be cancelled and CD’s were publicly burned. Again, it just goes to show that sometimes, it’s just a crap shoot.

While the 60’s and 70’s were a simultaneous musical and political revolution, today’s ‘P.C.’ society is unable to handle such turmoil. Artists today cannot make a living with anti-war and peace/love guitar chords. It’s more business than pleasure, more contracts than handshakes. So musicians today better be able put their money where their mouth is, or the recording label will drop them, and pretty soon the only thing they’ll be singing is ‘Would you like fries with that?’

But that's just This Girl talking...

The downfall of FM Radio

This week, This Girl went through one of the most major changes a girl can go through in her life. Getting married? Nope. Having a baby? Guess again. Breaking a nail? Not even close. She learned that her favorite radio station is getting the boot. Yup, that's right ladies and gents. Everything Alternative 99x, the ONLY alternative radio station in Atlanta will be off the air and All the Hits Q100 will be taking over.

Now, word on the street has it that the reason for the switch is due to the fact that the morning show on 99x isn't getting great ratings, and the head honchos want to move Q100's morning show to the stronger signal of 99.7 f.m. And I guess technically, this is true. However, the decision to replace the entire radio station was most likely not a hard one for corporate swine because 99x and alternative music altogether has not been getting the listeners it used to. Instead, 99x will become just an internet and HD radio entity.

Now that we have the hard truth and boring facts behind us, we can begin to wonder, "What the hell are we supposed to listen to NOW?" Being in the south, there are several country radio stations around town. And not to say anything bad about country music because many of those folks are very talented, but I can almost guarantee that at least 75% of 99x listeners (we'll refer to an alternative fan as Alt from here on out) do not consider themselves country music fans. It is a simple truth of personal preference. We can scratch off any station that plays Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton, and Celine Dion. Which leaves us with the Top 40 station, the hip-hop station, the hard rock station, and Pop station; Q100, 95.5 The Beat, Project 96.1, and Star 94 respectively.

Alt tunes to the hip-hop station 95.5 The Beat. There is a good chance that anyone listening to the alternative likes of Oasis and Stone Temple Pilots such as Alt, might like to hear a Snoop Dogg or Nelly classic from their high school days. But does Alt usually go to the club on Friday nights to 'Lean Wit it, Rock Wit it', or do the 'Soulja Boy' dance? The correct answer is no. So why would he listen to it on his way to work or going to pick up a date? Alt will learn to change the channel when he hears Rhianna's 'Umbrella' for the third time in an hour.

After flipping stations, Alt settles on Star 94, the Pop music station. After a few songs, he wonders why the station isn't called American Idol Contestant 94. Every other song is sang by either, Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, or Jordin Sparks. When a singer with questionable talent is finally played, Alt looks at the car next to him to see the most disturbing sight. A mini van with a car seat in the back and a kid in a soccer uniform playing his Nintendo DS, a bumper sticker that says 'I heart my Shitzu', driven by a woman in a button up top singing and dancing to the EXACT same Justin Timberlake song that he is listening to at the moment. Alt sinks down in his seat and turns the volume all the way down.

When the embarassment has faded, Alt decides to brave the radio once again and finds Project 96.1. At first listen, it's not so bad! A little Foo Fighters, a little Chili Peppers, even some Finger 11. But after 15 minutes, Alt starts to get a headache. With all the Drowing Pool, Senses Fail, and Disturbed how can a guy think and drive at the same time?! He finds himself headbanging uncontrollably and has to pull over to the side of the road to prevent a full blown siezure. Deep breaths, Alt, deep breaths. He makes the wise choice of changing the channel once more.

The last station of the day is Q100. The arch enemy. The suck up who got to go to the front of the line. The guy who took your girl. It takes exactly one hour to hear all the music in the playlist rotation. Alt must be a genius because he has figured out what songs, and in what order they are played every hour. He has learned the Beyonce dance, memorized all the words to Timbaland, and purchased Gwen Stefani's purfume for his girlfriend. He has become just like any of the other plastic people that live in Atlanta. All in one hour of poison and brainwashing. While at a stoplight, Alt overhears a 311 CD being played in the car beside him by a girl with 4 earrings in each ear. With a shake of his head, Alt is back in reality.

So tell me my friends, what are WE, those who enjoy Radiohead, Silverchair, Nirvana, even Primitive Radio Gods supposed to do without our alternative radio station? Where do we get our daily dose of Linkin Park and Wolfmother? Where WILL the Killers go?! Until that question can be answered, I guess the 'Alts' of Atlanta will be stopped on the side of the road headbanging until someone brings back Organic X to calm us down.


But that's just this girl talking...

It's coming...

This is for the two people who read my blog.

It has to due with the airplane and the music on it while boarding and de-boarding. Stay tuned for one when I'm back from vacay.

Politics, Rehab, and Youngsters...OH MY!

*Disclaimer: These are MY picks for 2007. They might seem biased and not very well rounded for different music genres. There are MANY other artists that released wonderful albums this year, however, I have either not heard them or subjectively don't think they should have made the list If you have any to add, please leave a comment!

So another year ends, and with it, we come to the portion of our program where everyone and their mother gives their Best Of lists. As much as I hate to be a cliche, there is just no avoiding it as there were so many albums to choose from this year. So without further ado (god, I'm just a walking stereotype), here are This Girls' picks for best albums of 2007.

5. Cease to Begin-Band of Horses
This album is what indie rock is about. Absurd lyrics, haunting melody, and a scruffy lead singer with a beard. When you can make a hit out of a song with only 3 lines, and use the song as the first track, you know you've got talent. Band of Horses' sophmore album combines songs that talk about nothing, with songs that talk about, well, nothing. But just like a Seinfeld espisode, 'nothing' seems to make an incredible 'something'. I dare you to listen to The General Specific and not clap your hands or crack a smile. This song, which is geniously placed in the middle of the album pulls you back in from the echos of No One's Gonna Love You, to refocus your ears towards the ghost story that is Marry Song.

4. Back to Black-Amy Winehouse
As much as we want to hate her, or maybe pity her, Amy Winehouse released one of the most talked about albums of the year. Even with her 'no press is bad press' public shennanigans (rehab, bloody fights with her husband, singing at award shows incoherently inebriated), she managed to sell millions before her downward spiral. This is one artist who can rely on her voice to make her money. Listening to Back to Black, you are transported to a time where Do-Wop groups ruled the music charts, and the only substances abused were hamburgers and milkshakes. Amy directly channels the 60's with Tears Dry on Their Own and Rehab, then infuses her heartfelt lyrics and real life experiences to create an album worth listening to beginning to end.

3. Some Mad Hope-Matt Nathanson
If you went to college anytime in the years from 1995 to now, you have heard of Matt Nathanson. His college circuit tour has won him many a fan over the years. But with his second major label release and the Video for Car Crash being played on VH1, Matt Nathanson is sure to score with Some Mad Hope. While his musical style isn't altogether different from Mat Kearney or Five Times August, it is catchy and addictive. Matt can evoke emotions you didn't even know you had. Longing for a wedding you haven't had, invigorating frustration for chasing your dreams, even the complete exhuastion of falling in love. He doesn't push any buttons politically, and won't win any grammys for best new artist, but he will keep you highly entertained with quality tunes for approximately 45 minutes.

2. Undiscovered-James Morrison
Ok. So I guess techinically this CD should go under the Best of 2006 category since it already reached platinum status in the UK but the end of the year. But since it wasn't released in the states until spring of '07, I will allow it to be number two. And trust me, it deserves to be ranked both years anyway. The debut album from 23 year old James Morrison is quite possibly one of the best singer-songwriter records of the modern age. How is it possible for someone so young to have experienced all the pain, happiness, and confusion of an old man? And how does he actually make you physically feel all those emotions at the same time? This Boy and the title track Undiscovered are the most talented songs on the album. But ask again tomorrow, and it might be Wonderful World, and You Give Me Something. This album lets you rediscover each song over and over again through James' throaty voice and evident passion that distinguishes each song from the other. Listen again, and you'll realize that you, too are 'not lost, just undiscovered.'

1. Minutes to Midnight-Linkin Park
From the second I brought this CD home on the day it was released, I have said it's the best album of the year. It's great when you're in the car, it's poweful when you're on the treadmill, it's superb when you're doing the laundry. Mike Shinoda has always had something to say, and now him and the rest of Linkin Park are saying it out loud in opposition of George W., Katrina, and the war in Iraq. No song on Minutes to Midnight is more powerful than Hands Held High, where Shinoda come from behind the pen and paper, and in front of the microphone to lend his inspiring words to the world of music. The band clearly had fun making this album, straying from their typical rap-rock. Instead, Linkin Park tries out a slower, U2-esque circa The Joshua Tree style of music on almost half of the CD. It is unlike their previous albums, but obviously shows their range as musicians and artists. Anyone who can make such an ecclectic album unlike what they're known for, all while staying true to what they believe and not afraid to say it, deserves number one. Not to mention a purple heart for courage.

Runners-up:
Neon Bible-Arcade Fire
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga-Spoon
So Much More-Brett Dennen
Live at Radio City Music Hall-Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds

But that's just THIS girl talking...

The evolution of the TV sountrack

How many times do we tune into our favorite show each week, only to hum or sing along to the opening credits? Think back, and I bet you can remember the theme to your favorite cartoon as a child. Smurfs, Thundercats, Speed Racer, or even Batman can be found in the back corner jukebox of any adults’ memory. Just push play and the words will come flowing out of their mouth, as the quizzical look in their eyes says ‘How the hell do I know this?’. Better yet, the nostalgia in their face when the memory of that television program and what it represented for childhood comes rushing back.

The soundtrack to our early morning and late night programming is as important as the content itself. Shows such as The Patty Duke Show, The Addams Family, and The Beverly Hillbillies in the 1960’s gave you the premise of the show before you even watched a single episode. Identical cousins who are opposites; a family that’s creepy, kooky, and mysteriously ooky; a man named Jed who found oil/Texas Tea/black gold and moved his family to Beverly Hills. Simple, easy, and most importantly, catchy enough to keep you tuned in.

Moving into the 1970’s and 80’s, the introduction of sitcoms such as Happy Days, The Facts of Life, and Golden Girls saw theme songs shift into a still catchy, but unrelated-to-the-story 30 second chorus. Each one memorable in it’s own right, but doesn’t really tell you about the characters involved or even what the whole idea of the show is. A modern classic such as the Cheers theme, has morphed itself into pop culture by no longer only representing Sam, Diane, Norm, and Cliff, but any neighborhood pub or even your basement bar.

As we approached the new millennium, our favorite programs began with actual radio songs. Songs that hit the Top 40 charts. Songs that last two and a half to four minutes long (cut down for the opening credits, obviously). Dawson’s Creek used the already chart topping Paula Cole hit I Don’t Want To Wait, while Married…With Children channeled Frank Sinatra’s Love and Marriage. Can anyone forget FRIENDS? Even if you lived under a rock and didn’t watch the six twenty-somethings living in NYC, you still somehow knew all the words to I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrants. It was so popular, that an entire 13 song CD was created, and featured mega stars from the decade like Hootie and the Blowfish, R.E.M., Barenaked Ladies, and The Pretenders.

Finally, entering the 2000’s and latching onto it’s heels, is the dramedy. In shows like Grey’s Anatomy, House, and The O.C., the laugh track is replaced with snippits by already established, as well as up and coming acts. Songs are played during key moments in the show, spawning the viewers to question, ‘Who sings this song?’. The genius of this is evident in the incredibly successful commercial sales of TV soundtracks. Artists the like of Snow Patrol, Mat Kearney, and Rilo Kiley are now household names thanks to the brilliance of network music editors.

While the television soundtrack is by no means nearing extinction, theme songs and supporting music are becoming obsolete with extremely involved shows like Lost, Heroes, and 24. Don’t expect to be able to keep up with the increasingly confusing story lines while enjoying the newest hit from The Fray. But if you’re looking for some general entertainment with a climactic scene enveloped by an emotionally matching song, keep tuning in. It’s still there.

But that's just THIS girl talking...

Band of Horses stampedes into Atlanta

As the 99^th concert of 99x’s Unplugged in the Park Concert Series echoed in the Atlanta skyline, the signature echo sound of Band of Horses played through the patio of Park Tavern. The band that Rolling Stone referred to as the ‘hot band of 2007’ had a clearly strong fanbase in a sea of tapered jeans, hoodie sweatshirts, and the guy who carried around a bejeweled plunger. If Band of Horses was looking for a way to keep the crowd interested from the start, they achieved success by beginning with the recently played radio hit Is There a Ghost for the first song. A haunting three minutes of repeating the same three lines was enough to generate interest and curiosity in new listeners, all while exciting and energizing loyal fans. Founded in Seattle, the six man band considers its hometown Columbia, SC. Their southern roots were apparent in songs like The General Specific when lead singer Ben donned a University of Georgia cap and traded in his guitar for a tambourine, as well as crowd favorite Part One in which references to Carolina and Savannah are made. Even tunes like Marry Song, with the hint of southern twang and lyrics such as “Lucky ones are we all ‘till it is over/Everyone near and far/When you smile the sun it peaks through the clouds/Never die for always be around and around and around.” could be imagined sung by the likes of Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney with the addition of a banjo and cowboy hat. The sleeper hit The Funeral from Band of Horses’ first album Everything all the Time, was not played as an encore, but surprisingly, around the middle of the set. However, this could have been a strategic maneuver to re-ignite the concert-goers after a series of slower but melodic and entrancing songs. The smart set list promoted the new album Cease to Begin by sprinkling in favorites from the bands’ earlier work, which no doubt had intrigued Atlantans lining up to purchase one, if not both CD’s at the merchandise table. By the end of the evening, it is assured that there were two types of people left at Park Tavern: several hundred new fans of Band of Horses, and those saying ‘I told you so.’

But that's just THIS girl talking...