I was watching VH1 Classic the other day, you know the last "music" network that actually still shows music. Except that they only show old music. But anyway, they had a commercial for VH1's Save The Music charity project. This is a charity to raise money and awareness to keep music education alive in public schools- which is very important. See, schools are always trying to cut music programs to save money, and we all suffer.
This got me angry. HEY VH1, WHY DON'T YOU LEAD BY EXAMPLE!!! What does VH1 do? THEY CUT MUSIC PROGRAMMING TO SAVE MONEY!!! Have you watched VH1 lately? NO MUSIC! How can they expect us to donate money to save the music when they are such penny pinchers they just order a full schedule of "White Trash Wedding" at the expense of compromising the entire premise on which the network was founded?!
C'mon people, it's time to demand more. You wanna see retarded white trash people, go to any karaoke bar in Tigard.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Sound Of Rock
Had an audition today. This was a full band audition, not like the last one where it was just me and one other dude. First time in ages I've played real rock and roll with all of the players in the room. The last time would've been my final show with the Drags back in August. Man, it felt good. I'm thinking I will be playing some shows with these guys quite soon and I honestly can't wait!
On another tangent, I just wanted to touch on something I've discussed before. I'm not very modest about my playing, and I don't mean my technical proficiency. I mean my style. Now, I've already listed my influences, so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about by listening to them. Or to me for that matter, just go to iTunes and buy "She's Happy" who knows maybe I'll get my 3 pennies royalty check if you do.
But here's the thing, a lot of bands have really generic sounding drums. If the drums sound like nickleback, then the band sounds like nickleback. I, for one, wish to have no part of that. Plus, if all you singer / songwriters out there want to get on the radio, try sounding slightly different than the crap that gets played now. I'm surprised that more bands out there aren't looking for an angle, you know? Why not clean up the distortion a little bit, add some harmonies, and have a drummer who tried to build some atmosphere around the song rather than drive a mack truck right through it. And seriously, stop buying record by bands who play guitar and flex at the same time. Like the guy from the bowflex commercial whose 48 and still rocks. Coming soon to a sports arena near you, some douchebag with an armband tattoo whose all juiced up and dressed like Lance Armstrong singing songs about, you guessed it, relationships.
I know it sounds crazy to try getting on the radio by not sounding like all the bands who already are. Except I think we are at the tail end of the current trend cycle. Creed started it and Nickleback will end it. And Kid Rock... what a no talent hack! I firmly believe that people are ready for more. Like how grunge came out in the early 90s and exposed all the 80s hair bands for the sideshows they really were. But wait, I don't really like grunge and I have been to several Bon Jovi shows. Yeah but still. People were sick of the same old, they were ready for something new, and grunge was just that. And then there's Oasis. Total Beatles rip-off, but why not? I mean, if you're gonna sound like someone else, it might as well be the Beatles. Oasis came out at the height of grunge and what they did is remind us of Rock. Not hard rock, butt rock, dance rock, prog rock, but ROCK rock. Kinda like when you have a cup of coffee and remember what the original is like before all the sugar and fat was added to it, inflating the price 1000%.
If you listen to some of the most memorable hits from any time period, you'll notice that they don't sound like anything else of that time. "The Joshua Tree" is firmly etched in our minds as an iconic album of the late 80s. Now go dig up the old Billboard charts and see what else was getting a lot of play back then.
Wow I get bit long winded when talking about music don't I? At least I haven't started ranting about sports, yet...
On another tangent, I just wanted to touch on something I've discussed before. I'm not very modest about my playing, and I don't mean my technical proficiency. I mean my style. Now, I've already listed my influences, so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about by listening to them. Or to me for that matter, just go to iTunes and buy "She's Happy" who knows maybe I'll get my 3 pennies royalty check if you do.
But here's the thing, a lot of bands have really generic sounding drums. If the drums sound like nickleback, then the band sounds like nickleback. I, for one, wish to have no part of that. Plus, if all you singer / songwriters out there want to get on the radio, try sounding slightly different than the crap that gets played now. I'm surprised that more bands out there aren't looking for an angle, you know? Why not clean up the distortion a little bit, add some harmonies, and have a drummer who tried to build some atmosphere around the song rather than drive a mack truck right through it. And seriously, stop buying record by bands who play guitar and flex at the same time. Like the guy from the bowflex commercial whose 48 and still rocks. Coming soon to a sports arena near you, some douchebag with an armband tattoo whose all juiced up and dressed like Lance Armstrong singing songs about, you guessed it, relationships.
I know it sounds crazy to try getting on the radio by not sounding like all the bands who already are. Except I think we are at the tail end of the current trend cycle. Creed started it and Nickleback will end it. And Kid Rock... what a no talent hack! I firmly believe that people are ready for more. Like how grunge came out in the early 90s and exposed all the 80s hair bands for the sideshows they really were. But wait, I don't really like grunge and I have been to several Bon Jovi shows. Yeah but still. People were sick of the same old, they were ready for something new, and grunge was just that. And then there's Oasis. Total Beatles rip-off, but why not? I mean, if you're gonna sound like someone else, it might as well be the Beatles. Oasis came out at the height of grunge and what they did is remind us of Rock. Not hard rock, butt rock, dance rock, prog rock, but ROCK rock. Kinda like when you have a cup of coffee and remember what the original is like before all the sugar and fat was added to it, inflating the price 1000%.
If you listen to some of the most memorable hits from any time period, you'll notice that they don't sound like anything else of that time. "The Joshua Tree" is firmly etched in our minds as an iconic album of the late 80s. Now go dig up the old Billboard charts and see what else was getting a lot of play back then.
Wow I get bit long winded when talking about music don't I? At least I haven't started ranting about sports, yet...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Man On The Scene
I've been trying to go see as many shows as possible lately. This is rather new for me. The funny thing is, I don't really enjoy watching other small bands play. I do go to a lot of concerts, but they are the big signed national acts. A lot of people have stage-fright, but I have the opposite. I just feel uncomfortable and out of place in a smaller venue unless I'm on stage. Pretty stupid huh? If you look into the past of a lot of rock stars you'll find that they weren't very popular in high school. Often it's the feeling of isolation that fuels their creativity. So back in the 80s Bruce Springsteen was married to a super model, posing for pin up photos in tight jeans, and seemed like an all American frat-boy. He had a massive hit single "Glory Days" about running in to an old high school friend who was a big baseball player, and it rang true. Later on Bruce confessed that in fact he had no friends in high school, and was just a scrawny kid who was actually asked by the community college he attended to drop out because he was too weird.
I think a lot of the people who become rock stars do so because they had to. Think about it, what else is Tom Petty going to do. Well I wasn't very popular in high school either, but I had enough friends that I rather enjoyed the experience. And I never had a problem fitting in or finding work so it was easy for me to fool myself into thinking that I didn't need to be a musician. Basically it cost me a very precious 10 years. I know it seems strange, but at 28 I'm already on the outside looking in. "With or Without You" was already a radio staple when Bono was 28. Because I wasn't a desperate, angst filled youth I was able to live under the delusion that I could just plug into the matrix and work a 9 to 5 like everyone else. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I could never live that life. Busy work drives me insane. And I'm tired of not being rich, dammit! It only seems logical that if one wants to be rich, one should find whatever skill they have that stands out and ride that all the way to the bank. Some people have the ability to just grin and bear it, and that is a great way to get ahead. Just set aside your own feelings about how meaningless the task at hand is and soldier on. I don't possess such an ability. My skill is drumming.
The reason I've been going to shows is that a successful musician I met recently said that is the biggest thing I can do to find the next great band needing a drummer. Sitting at home looking on craigslist won't cut it. I need to be out, constantly networking. So that's the busy work for this job- putting in face time at shows. Beats the hell out of cold calling if you ask me. Even if I would rather be onstage, knocking back a couple ribbons and watching someone else play isn't really so bad.
I think a lot of the people who become rock stars do so because they had to. Think about it, what else is Tom Petty going to do. Well I wasn't very popular in high school either, but I had enough friends that I rather enjoyed the experience. And I never had a problem fitting in or finding work so it was easy for me to fool myself into thinking that I didn't need to be a musician. Basically it cost me a very precious 10 years. I know it seems strange, but at 28 I'm already on the outside looking in. "With or Without You" was already a radio staple when Bono was 28. Because I wasn't a desperate, angst filled youth I was able to live under the delusion that I could just plug into the matrix and work a 9 to 5 like everyone else. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that I could never live that life. Busy work drives me insane. And I'm tired of not being rich, dammit! It only seems logical that if one wants to be rich, one should find whatever skill they have that stands out and ride that all the way to the bank. Some people have the ability to just grin and bear it, and that is a great way to get ahead. Just set aside your own feelings about how meaningless the task at hand is and soldier on. I don't possess such an ability. My skill is drumming.
The reason I've been going to shows is that a successful musician I met recently said that is the biggest thing I can do to find the next great band needing a drummer. Sitting at home looking on craigslist won't cut it. I need to be out, constantly networking. So that's the busy work for this job- putting in face time at shows. Beats the hell out of cold calling if you ask me. Even if I would rather be onstage, knocking back a couple ribbons and watching someone else play isn't really so bad.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Get On Your Boots
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a committed U2 fan. So they released their new single, and I've been listening to it for 2 days now. My first impression is that the lyrics are very weak. And that the tune sounds like a rip off of "Wild Wild West" from some band nobody remembers. This album is supposed to be the next "Achtung Baby" and I really hope it is. But "The Fly," the first single from that ground-breaking album, had FAR better lyrics.
Now that I've heard "Get On Your Boots" a few more times I will say this- I'm sure it will be a big hit. The hooks and beats are all there to put U2 in the dance clubs for the first time in 16 years. This gives me high hopes for the new album. The first single is never the best song, it's just the most radio friendly. I suffered through the "Pop" years when everyone hated U2, so I was glad when "Beautiful Day" was a hit, even though I hate that song, because I was tired of having to defend my favorite band to the masses. Though it was nice getting front row tickets for $30 when nobody liked them.
Speaking of "Pop," I think that album was WAY ahead of it's time. The world is still not ready for it, but soon. The band even threw that album under the bus. But if you're looking for songs that don't play it safe and songs that have a meaning, I'll take "Pop" over the last two any day. They really took a chance on that record and it nearly killed them.
So may the new album hold more edgy, dark, dance-able tunes that prove why these guys are still relevant when so many of their peers are playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. Let the cougars in the clubs shake their fake racks and tramp-stamped asses to "Sexy Boots" while I ponder the meaning of life with the rest of the tracks.
Now that I've heard "Get On Your Boots" a few more times I will say this- I'm sure it will be a big hit. The hooks and beats are all there to put U2 in the dance clubs for the first time in 16 years. This gives me high hopes for the new album. The first single is never the best song, it's just the most radio friendly. I suffered through the "Pop" years when everyone hated U2, so I was glad when "Beautiful Day" was a hit, even though I hate that song, because I was tired of having to defend my favorite band to the masses. Though it was nice getting front row tickets for $30 when nobody liked them.
Speaking of "Pop," I think that album was WAY ahead of it's time. The world is still not ready for it, but soon. The band even threw that album under the bus. But if you're looking for songs that don't play it safe and songs that have a meaning, I'll take "Pop" over the last two any day. They really took a chance on that record and it nearly killed them.
So may the new album hold more edgy, dark, dance-able tunes that prove why these guys are still relevant when so many of their peers are playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. Let the cougars in the clubs shake their fake racks and tramp-stamped asses to "Sexy Boots" while I ponder the meaning of life with the rest of the tracks.
Friday, January 9, 2009
My Drumming Philosophy
I am a songwriter’s drummer. I try to capture the meaning and mood of the song and play my part to support it. I use space and dynamic more than fills. Drumming can be the main catalyst that makes the listener feel whatever emotion the songwriter is communicating. Theory and technique are important, but the key is to step inside the song and walk around for awhile. Otherwise, it’s just drum by numbers.
I have always been a "less is more" type of person when it comes to gear. My college drum instructor showed me how I could make the same sound with a 5 piece as a lot of people do with much bigger kits. It's interesting how certain genres always have a huge drum kit with racks and racks of toms and cymbals. To me, that is just more stuff to lug around. The one thing I do wish I had a lot of is abstract percussion stuff. Glenn Kotche of Wilco is one of the best, he's throwing shakers around, playing xylophone with one hand and doing fills with the other, has cans of sand taped to his hi hat, very entertaining to watch. And yet, he still serves the song.
So the key is to find that balance between flash and substance. Obviously the show must entertain, as much as possible. But every note and every instrument played onstage should have a purpose beyond simply showing off.
I have always been a "less is more" type of person when it comes to gear. My college drum instructor showed me how I could make the same sound with a 5 piece as a lot of people do with much bigger kits. It's interesting how certain genres always have a huge drum kit with racks and racks of toms and cymbals. To me, that is just more stuff to lug around. The one thing I do wish I had a lot of is abstract percussion stuff. Glenn Kotche of Wilco is one of the best, he's throwing shakers around, playing xylophone with one hand and doing fills with the other, has cans of sand taped to his hi hat, very entertaining to watch. And yet, he still serves the song.
So the key is to find that balance between flash and substance. Obviously the show must entertain, as much as possible. But every note and every instrument played onstage should have a purpose beyond simply showing off.
Chris Hubbard
My friend Chris Hubbard is, among other things, the keyboard player for Scotland Barr. Anyway, he's just released a couple of solo improvisation albums. Now think about that for a second, solo improv. As Chris puts it, "these songs didn't exist until milliseconds before they were recorded." He literaly sat down, rolled tape, and started playing. You can listen to a few samples @ www.montchrishubbard.com and I must say even if you only take a few minutes it's definitly worth your time.
See, the thing is this: genuine talent is something you don't encounter everyday. And creativity should be rewarded. If you could make a pie chart of stuff that we value throughout history, creative people are probably responsible for 90% of it.
Of course I've always known Chris as a very talented musician, but this is the first time I've ever heard anything he's written. I'm very impressed, and it's actually given me even more motivation to spend as much time as possible creating and playing music - the finest for of art.
There's a lot of stuff out there you can spend your time and money on, and truthfully most of it sucks. We all know it. So if you have the ability to contribute something which doesn't suck, by all means do it. And if you can't, just make a point to enjoy something worthwhile. Often the only reward the artist ever gets is knowing that someone somewhere appreciated their efforts.
And go Blazers!
See, the thing is this: genuine talent is something you don't encounter everyday. And creativity should be rewarded. If you could make a pie chart of stuff that we value throughout history, creative people are probably responsible for 90% of it.
Of course I've always known Chris as a very talented musician, but this is the first time I've ever heard anything he's written. I'm very impressed, and it's actually given me even more motivation to spend as much time as possible creating and playing music - the finest for of art.
There's a lot of stuff out there you can spend your time and money on, and truthfully most of it sucks. We all know it. So if you have the ability to contribute something which doesn't suck, by all means do it. And if you can't, just make a point to enjoy something worthwhile. Often the only reward the artist ever gets is knowing that someone somewhere appreciated their efforts.
And go Blazers!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Step One - Join A Band
So ever since I left Scotland Barr I've been looking for a new band to join. My primary tool in this search has been, of course, craigslist. I've seen a lot of "bands" out there who obviously spend more time in the mirror than they do practicing and writing songs. I think Portland is full of hipsters who think that because they wear denim that is way too tight, don't shave, and roll their own cigarettes, that somehow they are original and interesting. Just being weird for the sake of being weird is neither interesting nor weird. It just makes you look like every other barista. And by the way, since when does working for Starbucks and shopping at Ikea constitute fighting the establishment?
But I digress. After listening to every song on every myspace link from every band in Portland who needs a drummer, I started to get bummed out. Maybe I should've stayed with the Drags. They are 10x better than anything I've seen since. It was so easy for me to find and join that band, I didn't realize until now how seldom great bands like that actually have an opening.
But just last week I started to see a couple postings from really good bands. I'm actually very stoked about an audition I have next week. The band sounds awesome, and I talked to the main guy on the phone last night for a bit and he seems to be a) very cool and b) very driven. Those are two very important attributes for a frontman I think. I'm looking forward to this audition more than any I've had in the past- so much so that I actually practiced their songs the other day. In the past I've always just winged it- which really isn't a bad approach if you think about it. It's like an IQ test, you're not supposed to study.
Last week I had an audition that did not go well. I'm not too tore up about it because I don't think that band would have been the best fit for me anyhow. But it is the first audition I've been to where I wasn't offered the job right on the spot. In fact, the guy couldn't have been less impressed. The thing is, when I listened to his tunes on myspace I didn't really like the drumming at all. It was very hi-hat heavy and too cymbal-ly in general. But I felt like the songs were strong. Now if a band is looking for a drummer, and their current songs have lousy drums, it stands to reason that they would be interested in hearing a few different approaches. Not this guy. Turns out he had recorded the drums himself, even though he is not a drummer, and he was looking for a drummer to play the parts exactly as he had "written" them. He was so dead set on this that we didn't even play through one song. The whole thing lasted less than a half hour. I have no problem playing drum parts that someone else wrote, so long as their good.
That's why I'm excited about the audition next week. Their recording sound awesome and the drum parts are perfect already, so I don't have to change anything.
But I digress. After listening to every song on every myspace link from every band in Portland who needs a drummer, I started to get bummed out. Maybe I should've stayed with the Drags. They are 10x better than anything I've seen since. It was so easy for me to find and join that band, I didn't realize until now how seldom great bands like that actually have an opening.
But just last week I started to see a couple postings from really good bands. I'm actually very stoked about an audition I have next week. The band sounds awesome, and I talked to the main guy on the phone last night for a bit and he seems to be a) very cool and b) very driven. Those are two very important attributes for a frontman I think. I'm looking forward to this audition more than any I've had in the past- so much so that I actually practiced their songs the other day. In the past I've always just winged it- which really isn't a bad approach if you think about it. It's like an IQ test, you're not supposed to study.
Last week I had an audition that did not go well. I'm not too tore up about it because I don't think that band would have been the best fit for me anyhow. But it is the first audition I've been to where I wasn't offered the job right on the spot. In fact, the guy couldn't have been less impressed. The thing is, when I listened to his tunes on myspace I didn't really like the drumming at all. It was very hi-hat heavy and too cymbal-ly in general. But I felt like the songs were strong. Now if a band is looking for a drummer, and their current songs have lousy drums, it stands to reason that they would be interested in hearing a few different approaches. Not this guy. Turns out he had recorded the drums himself, even though he is not a drummer, and he was looking for a drummer to play the parts exactly as he had "written" them. He was so dead set on this that we didn't even play through one song. The whole thing lasted less than a half hour. I have no problem playing drum parts that someone else wrote, so long as their good.
That's why I'm excited about the audition next week. Their recording sound awesome and the drum parts are perfect already, so I don't have to change anything.
Is It My Imagination...
First off, I can't imagine anyone would ever read this. Normally I tend to think of blogging as pretty blowhardy, especially when the blogger is someone like myself who is totally unknown. But the whole point of this is to change that. My intent is to keep this blog for one year, to track my progress as I try to make the impossible leap from obscurity to professional musician.
So I'm 28 years old and I've been playing the drums for 10 years. Well actually, that's how long I've owned a kit . I've been banging on stuff my whole life. The last 2 years have been especially busy. I had the great fortune of drumming for Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags (www.scotlandbarr.com). From July of 2006 until August 2008 I toured all over the western US, got to go to Austin, TX for the 2008 SXSW music festival, and record an album which was recently named one of the best of 2008 by No Depression (http://www.nodepression.com/articles.aspx?id=5016). This was quite a ride for me. When I joined the band, all I wanted to do was play great music. The first show I played with them had an audience of about 4 people. We came a long way since then.
Unfortunately, what led to my departure from the band was my reluctance to commit to a full-time musician's lifestyle. I'll go into greater detail in a later post, but lets just say I tended to get a little homesick after living out of a van for six weeks at a time. The funny thing is, now that it's been almost a year since my last full tour and 4 months since my last gig, I've really started to realize that's where I belong.
Until about a month ago, I planned on working for my family construction business forever. I don't know why I planned on doing this- I don't particularly enjoy it, nor am I a natural at physical labor. I really wish I would've figured this out 10 years ago, but I'm still in my 20s (barely) so I guess it's not too late. The fact is, I play the drums better than I do anything else- by far. And I really enjoy it. Actually, I need it.
So I've decided to go for it all the way. I'm 28, no wife / kids / house payment, and nothing holding me back. Scotland Barr gave me a taste, and also showed me that it is possible to take this thing as far as I'm willing to take it. I intend to chronicle my progress here, which will hopefully turn into a how-to manual for becoming a professional musician.
How's that for a New Year's resolution?!
So I'm 28 years old and I've been playing the drums for 10 years. Well actually, that's how long I've owned a kit . I've been banging on stuff my whole life. The last 2 years have been especially busy. I had the great fortune of drumming for Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags (www.scotlandbarr.com). From July of 2006 until August 2008 I toured all over the western US, got to go to Austin, TX for the 2008 SXSW music festival, and record an album which was recently named one of the best of 2008 by No Depression (http://www.nodepression.com/articles.aspx?id=5016). This was quite a ride for me. When I joined the band, all I wanted to do was play great music. The first show I played with them had an audience of about 4 people. We came a long way since then.
Unfortunately, what led to my departure from the band was my reluctance to commit to a full-time musician's lifestyle. I'll go into greater detail in a later post, but lets just say I tended to get a little homesick after living out of a van for six weeks at a time. The funny thing is, now that it's been almost a year since my last full tour and 4 months since my last gig, I've really started to realize that's where I belong.
Until about a month ago, I planned on working for my family construction business forever. I don't know why I planned on doing this- I don't particularly enjoy it, nor am I a natural at physical labor. I really wish I would've figured this out 10 years ago, but I'm still in my 20s (barely) so I guess it's not too late. The fact is, I play the drums better than I do anything else- by far. And I really enjoy it. Actually, I need it.
So I've decided to go for it all the way. I'm 28, no wife / kids / house payment, and nothing holding me back. Scotland Barr gave me a taste, and also showed me that it is possible to take this thing as far as I'm willing to take it. I intend to chronicle my progress here, which will hopefully turn into a how-to manual for becoming a professional musician.
How's that for a New Year's resolution?!
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