BY MIKEY MIGO
Did I miss something? When did having pride in accomplishment and ambition to succeed become so hard to comprehend for some people? People are quick to blame television, society, or music for people being lazy but I can't agree with that. I watch more TV than I'd ever like to admit, I listen to all genres of music except country, and I keep my finger on the pulse of society. I'm saying I'm better than anyone at all. I just really want to know why people with potential let themselves go to waste. If I could, I would find the tallest structure in each town and scream "Get off your asses, people!"
Sorry for being on a soap box this week, but I've just been really annoyed by this lately. When you really start paying attention, you see so much potential just pissed away and there's not much you can really do about it. Success, failure, or disaster, it's always worth trying and worth the risk.
This week I'm going to take a look at a few of my favorite musicians at complete random and see who puts the effort in and take risks. Some are main stream and some are bands you may not have heard of yet. However, if they keep putting in their effort you very well may in time.
Mindless Self Indulgence
If you don't like Mindless Self Indulgence I probably can't convince you. If you do like them, you won't argue with me when I say they are awesome. It's been pretty much that exact situation with anyone that I've known to hear this electronic/hip hop/industrial/rock band. Their musical style is so deliberately a slap in the face of normal music that one can't help but enjoy every note Jimmy Urine puts out. They aren't signed by a major label and I have no doubt in my mind that they could be. They do their own thing on their own label and most importantly on their own terms. That's been a risk of theirs that I feel has paid off many times over. Check them out this summer headlining the second stage on the Projekt Revolution Tour.
Tech N9ne
Similar to Mindless Self Indulgence, Tech N9ne is his own island. His vocal stylings and lyrics are very unique. He combines many styles and makes them his own with witty lyrics and some of the hottest loops I've ever heard. He is on his own label and has tons of self marketing and promotion behind him. He hasn't stuck with just one image, but none of them are really that of your typical rapper. Tech N9ne is his own breed and should be on top of the rap world right now.
Peaches
I saw Peaches open for NIN and was a bit surprised. Peaches was vulgar, nasty, and crude. Basically, what I'm saying is that she was awesome. In a modern Joan Jett kind of way she struts around, but then strips and it gets raunchy. Musically, it's a techno-punk style that is unique in itself, but her vocals are what set Peaches apart from bands similar. With the content the way it is and the performance you're really putting yourself out there. I've seen a casual rise in the talk about her lately and it should only continue.
Amy Winehouse
This soulful, yet dark jazz singer is the most recent addition to my "listen to over and over again" list. I was recently watching a random late night talk show and was really compelled by her performance. The risk here is that the genre and way she's going about it is really unique and different. With that comes my respect and admiration because she's just starting to make waves. Her expression may be a little gloomy, but her future looks very bright.
Radiohead
I have a friend who pushed Radiohead on me just as hard as I do NIN to others. So I can understand why my friends won't give them a fair chance sometimes. I finally came around and gave Radiohead a fair shake and hated myself for not being a fan for years prior to that time. The evolution of this band has been nothing short than amazing. Each album is a progression into something new. Some bands stay the same and fade, but bands like Radiohead blossom into a iconic status.
Nine Inch Nails
This is where I get bias. Of course, NIN is my favorite band, but I am realistic on why Trent Reznor's work is so appealing. You listen to any album and you know it's Nine Inch Nails, yet each album is different. If it's synth heavy love songs, aggressive rock, instrumentals, or just about anything within the "rock" genre you can expect to hear NIN's thumb print on it somewhere. Just compare The Fragile to Year Zero or The Downward Spiral to The Pretty Hate Machine and you'll know how much Trent evolves with each album.
These are just a few of the bands I listen to that are constantly taking risks. Sometimes it pans out and sometimes it doesn't, either way it's very interesting to follow the evolution of these artists.
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