BY MIKEY MIGO
We're approaching a new decade and anywhere someone can post a list, they will. Be it a "Top of the year", "Top of the decade", or what have you. These lists are fun and all, but they normally lack a personal appeal outside of being able to relate with the list. We all want our vindication. You can love the hell out of something, but you'll still check out a top list to make sure your choice is represented. But really, that's about it. Unless you're rating based on something statistical like sales, spins, or something like that it's all opinion. Music is subjective.
For me a year in music isn't just some list. It's not about trying to single things out, but absorbing the entire years worth of music related experiences. We grow, mature, and change a little bit every year. With that one's perspective and musical palette will change and/or evolve.
These are some of the experiences I had with music in 2009.
Letting New Bands In
Off the bat, I can easily tell you that the self titled debut album by "Them Crooked Vultures" is one of the best albums of the year. Jose Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones formed this super group after hanging out at one of Dave's recent birthday parties. There is not much one can say about this band in regards to being "new", but the chemistry captured on the album makes them sound like they've been working together for decades.
Then there are other bands like "Bat For Lashes", "MGMT", and others who while didn't just come on the scene in 09, but rather made their way past my ears for the first time. In 2009, I've made a conscious effort to give older bands with acclaim and respect more of a chance.
In 2009, I listened to a lot of older bands for the first time and shared my "first impressions" with you via this column. It's been a pleasure to have personal discoveries with groups like "Simon and Garfunkel", "The Smiths", "The Stooges", "Pixies", "Eagles of Death Metal" and others. Sure there has been plenty of new music that I didn't like and plenty of older bands that didn't do it for me, but I did put that effort in. Music a beautiful form of art and expression. I've learned that sticking to what you know keeps your mind narrow and can bore your ears after awhile. You must explore.
Patience For The Fading Hype
Music snobs are too cool for school. Your opinions suck and ours are right. You know nothing about what makes good music and we will break our backs to let you know how dumb you are. That itself is annoying, but we're ALL guilty of it. In 2009 I came to terms with the fact that life is too short to waste hating on something. That still hasn't stop me from hating the collective musical work of bands like Nickelback, Staind, Kings of Leon, and the other run of the mill "crock rock". On the same page, within hip hop I hate Lil Wayne, Solija Boy, and a good portion of other mainstream "clubble-gum" bullshit.
Then again, I'm a fan of music with legitimate substance. When faced with water down rock and lame lyrics over lame beats you have to express your displeasure. This is the stuff that's shoved down our throats in mass and bitching about it is sometimes the only way to clear that throat. The same is said for all trends. Flat billed baseball caps, furry boots, and styles you personally find repulsive WILL pass. It might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but all popular trends will pass like a stomach cramp. I can shit talk about bands I don't like all day, but in the end their popularity will fall. Sometimes a band will come back with another hit album, but that too will eventually fade. Consider bitching about like picking at a scab. The more you bitch the more it'll be exposed. Simple minded people will take your bitching as a challenge and love it even more to spite you. It's just not worth it to be so negative. Focus on the positive. After all this preaching, I will still say that I despise country music.
Moving On and Other Phases Passed
An avid music fan can sometimes have a weird relationship with a band. Like a good portion of relationships, sometimes the involved parties lose touch. The connection that was there is gone and you start to grow frustrated. You love the good times and reflect on what drew you to them in the first place, but it's just a shell of its former self. Eventually you just move on. In music and most relationships, it's pretty much the exact same. What do you do when a band or artist you've grown to love just up and stops being what you loved about them? You move on. For me, there are three specific artists that I've found myself moving on from over the past few years and I can now openly admit that we're over. What's done is done. I'll always appreciate the time we've had and how their music have helped shape me as a person, but that connection is gone.
"The Dresden Dolls" blew me away the first time I heard them. The self titled and "A is For Accident" were great albums that I played the hell out of. The passionate rawness of those works was easy to love. "Half Jack", "Girl Anachronism", "Missed Me", and the others rocked. I didn't hate what came next, but outside of "Sing" the Dolls never won me over the same way. Since then, my excitement has vanished. I'd still support Amanda and Brian by listening to their newer work, but it just didn't resonate with me. Top that with Amanda's blogs, I just had enough. The blogs are fun to read, but come off preachy and "I'm soooo eccentric, buy my art" a little too much for my tastes. That sounds harsh. It's just Amanda being Amanda, but it's just not my cup of tea… anymore.
Then there's "Mindless Self Indulgence". At one point in my life, I deemed them my second favorite band of ALL TIME. At the time, I meant it. Their live show blew me the fuck away. Jimmy Urine's front man antics were amazing, but slowly with age it just got tamer and tamer until eventually it got lamer and lamer. I loved "Tight", "Frankenstein Girls", and even "We'll Rebel…", but after a few bland EPs, some lame music videos, and the very disposable "If" I have no choice but to step back from my MSI love orgy. The fun and vulgar innocence of what I used to love about MSI was replaced by a scene-a-riffic trend binge. We all grow up, but I don't need MSI's recent weak sauce to remind me of that.
The third artist that my ears are divorcing is Tech N9ne. Tech was my favorite rapper for a long time. I saw him back in the early 00's at the Sprite Liquid Fest and was hooked. His stage presence, creativity, and rebellion to the norm were very appealing. I loved me the old shit from "Angelic", "Absolute Power", and all the way to about "Everready". Things just changed. The creative beats were replaced by a-typical mainstream hip hop garbage, the lyrics matured and lost all of it's raw energy, and basically Tech became the most commercial non-mainstream rapper out there. The same radio and same rappers that Tech used to complain about and he claimed wouldn't play with him (see "Red Nose") are now all buddy-buddy with him. I saw him this past summer at "Rock The Bells" and it was HORRIBLE. It was like aliens stole their swagger and style and replaced it with shit that's barely a step above Top 40 garbage. When new Tech comes out now, I have to prepare myself by lowering my expectations and put a lot of effort into seeking out tracks or lines that I can appreciate. I think the problem, outside of the beats, is that Tech puts out way too much material. The dude loves touring and I'm sure that's where he makes his money, but making a new album or collaboration album every year is taking a toll. Tech, you know you CAN take a few years… make a really inspired album loaded with that old creativity instead of getting shit out every 9 or 10 months. But that's just not in the cards these days.
I wish these bands well and will always appreciate the time I had with them, but they just don't grab me like they used to. Maybe they've changed, maybe I've evolved, but these three artists aren't what they once were to me.
Holy Bono, Batman!
On October 25th, U2 teamed up with YouTube to stream a concert for the world to watch. This ended up being watched by nearly 10 million people from 188 countries. Meanwhile over 97,000 fans packed the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and set a new attendance record for a single headliner show. Those are the facts of what made this a special show, but to me it was the experience. I honestly cannot remember any time during my adulthood that watching a concert on a screen was so exciting. I've always loved U2, but this youtubed show brought me back like a fiend-out addict. Their stage show was AMAZING. Their stage set up costs somewhere in the EIGHT DIGIT range. That's 10+ MILLION dollars.
The technology to make that creative monster happen must be celebrated and felated. Its massive structure could only fit in stadiums, which they can obviously fill up. That's not even a selling point, but rather the icing on a very delectable cake. What won me over was the performance. Bono, Edge, Larry, and Adam flat out rocked my world with their skills, energy, and stage presence.
I REALLY wanted to go to one of the Chicago shows, but even at $30 a ticket when you buy two it was closer to $100 when the "fees" were tacked on. At the time, THAT much just wasn't within my means. So instead of outwardly pouting about it, I just ignored it. I avoided the U2 portion of my collection and pussy footed around it. Then after a PPV, I found myself in front of my computer screen singing a long, rocking out, and having that musical amazement that could only be related to by an enthralled child. U2 is love and I just might have to sell a kidney to get myself into their Chicago show this upcoming July.
Farewell to a Friend (For Now).
Everyone has a favorite band of all time and sometimes it's NOT always "The Beatles", "Zeppelin", or whatever obscure indie band is hot on college radio. For me that band has been Nine Inch Nails for going on fifteen years or so.
This past summer I had to let go of the touring version of NIN, maybe forever. August 29th, 2009 marked the last time I'll see NIN at least until Trent's bipolar-ness kicks in and he decides to tour for a decade next week. *crosses fingers* Trent Reznor's lyrics are often considered "depressing", and yeah they are, but there is so much more to NIN that's not known or experienced by the mindless masses. The musical composition, the emotion, the experimentation, and basically the overall package that Trent has evolved for us over the years is a soundtrack to my life. If I want to be depressed there's "Hurt", "Sometime I Can Never Have" and others. If I want to be enraged I can always crank up "Wish", "Mr. Self Destruct", or "March of the Pigs" among many others. If I want to reflect on love there's always "The Fragile", "We're In This Together", or even "Beside You In Time". There's many more layers and experience to be had via the music of Trent Reznor than industrial gloom. You might not agree or know that and really it's your loss. I embrace my passion for all that is Nine Inch Nails and wear my fandom on my sleeve proudly.
All was well in the world until Reznor announced that NIN would not be touring in the foreseeable future. He's older, married, and wants to explore other creative ventures. While I respect that, I'm still the same borderline-obsessed junior high kid that picked up "The Downward Spiral" for the first time. I never want the NIN ride to end. I was fortunate enough to go to nine shows over the years. The last show was one of the very last stops and it was the very best concert I ever had the pleasure of attending. The music was beautiful, the atmosphere was perfect, and it was great closure on something I spent a lot of time, money, and effort to be a part of over the years. I'll always have those old albums to relive and experience all over again and with the announcement of Trent putting more music out in the next year, this isn't that rough of a transition.
What did 2009 mean to you as a music fan?
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