So the video for Born This Way finally came out. And I have to say that I am extremely disappointed. From an artistic standpoint, it's just a mishmash of random sexual imagery that just doesn't go together. I don't understand the whole skeletons in tuxedos thing and I feel like the whole thing is kind of boring. Aside from the intro, the minimalistic type dance scenes, which take up a majority of the video just give The Ga an excuse to touch herself and have other people touch her. The art direction, costumes, and concept seem like they were all done in separate rooms and put together at the last second. The Ga has armies of workers at her expense who could create something incredible for a video and this was just a bunch of cheesy 80's graphics mixed in with crazy space stuff and not enough something extra.
I did love the Madonna reference with the gap in her front teeth round about 6:54. Overall, I love this song but I just feel let down by the potential that The Ga has to make something artistically creative.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Why is Indie Folk so popular?
Now I will be the first to admit that I'm not up on all the underground indie music. I will usually look at the lineup at Pitchfork and recognize about a quarter of the bands. But I do generally feel like I have a better grasp on what's happening in indie music than a majority of my peers, especially here at Wheaton. But in the fall, when the orchestra chaplain, who didn't surprise me with this choice, played "Sigh No More" by Mumford and Sons as a devotional in rehearsal and a majority of the orchestra murmured in recognition and excitement, I was taken aback. How do all these conservatory nerds know about Mumford and Sons? And then everybody and their mom knows about The Avett Brothers. Even before "I and Love and You" came out, there seemed to be an influx in knowledge about The Avett Brothers.
They are the only band that I can be confidently snobby about, so I'm going to go ahead and do it. I first heard about The Avett Brothers from my high school boyfriend, Nathan. He was a huge country and bluegrass fan and was in love with The Avett Brothers (who will henceforth be known as TAB because it's easier). I wasn't sold at first but we went to see them play live in Springfield, IL the closest gig they had to Chicago since they were still mostly playing in the south at this point. This was summer of 2007 and they played in this teeny tiny auditorium that was essentially a 500-seat lecture hall. When I saw them live, I fell in love. They were raw, exciting, and actually engaged me, a punk and ska fan, in their rock-style bluegrass. The next time I saw them was at the House of Blues in the Fall of 2007 and they were again incredible. But there were barely any people there. TAB were still super raw, with their roadie taking off each banjo and guitar after every song to change all the broken strings, and I got to meet Joe Kwan (the cellist) because he was just hanging out at the bar before the show. I saw TAB again the next summer, a few months before the "I and Love and You" EP came out and it wasn't as exciting. They just didn't have the same raw energy as before. I chalk this up to a few factors, one being that between those two concerts, Seth and Scott both got married (lame!) and the other being that they were working on their first real "studio" album. There were way more people at this show, also at the House of Blues, and this was when I began to have doubts about the direction they were going .
As soon as the "I and Love and You" EP came out, I bought it, of course, but was so disappointed. "Laundry Room" was excellent and I liked "I and Love and You" but as soon as I heard "Kick-Drum Heart" I knew that those record executives had taken away their edge. When the full-length album came out, I listened to it a few times and haven't since. I just don't care for their cleaned up studio sound. Their original draw was the raw emotional edge that really shined when they played live and that had all been taken out in this new album. Yet it was their most popular record by far.
Now look at the difference between early TAB, other bands like Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers, Iron and Wine, The Decemberists, and the really popular new TAB, and Mumford and Sons. There is a difference in (I can't think of a better way of saying this) cleanliness in these different bands. I'm sure anyone could come up with other reasons and different band examples but the general public wants something that's easy to listen to. And now more and more people know about Iron and Wine from Twilight and The Decemberists have had their fair share of popularity but the fact that Mumford and Sons and TAB played at The Grammys and people actually recognized them, as opposed to Arcade Fire, says something big. These bands are popular with the general public. It is a big deal that TAB is opening for John Mayer at stadium shows and that Mumford and Sons sells out every concert and is playing all the big festivals this summer.
I'm not exactly sure what this all means but it's part of a rising trend in which indie music is becoming more and more popular. Which then questions the title of indie. Granted, indie folk is probably the most accessible of all the indie genres (just wait for the day we see a duet of Coco Rosie and Antony and the Johnsons at The Grammys... Ha!) but that doesn't mean that indie music is becoming more popular. With the growing dissatisfaction with pop stars, including basically all the performances at the Super Bowl, and the musical growth that has resulted in the realization that all of Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Enrique Iglesias songs sounding the same, no matter how catchy they may be, more and more people are turning to indie music to find satisfaction.
Thoughts?
PS (edit the day after...) I forgot to mention a key indicator in the rising popularity of Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers: Both of their albums are sold at Starbucks. Now the new Decemberists album was there for a short period of time but I only saw it one day at one of the Starbucks that I go to.
They are the only band that I can be confidently snobby about, so I'm going to go ahead and do it. I first heard about The Avett Brothers from my high school boyfriend, Nathan. He was a huge country and bluegrass fan and was in love with The Avett Brothers (who will henceforth be known as TAB because it's easier). I wasn't sold at first but we went to see them play live in Springfield, IL the closest gig they had to Chicago since they were still mostly playing in the south at this point. This was summer of 2007 and they played in this teeny tiny auditorium that was essentially a 500-seat lecture hall. When I saw them live, I fell in love. They were raw, exciting, and actually engaged me, a punk and ska fan, in their rock-style bluegrass. The next time I saw them was at the House of Blues in the Fall of 2007 and they were again incredible. But there were barely any people there. TAB were still super raw, with their roadie taking off each banjo and guitar after every song to change all the broken strings, and I got to meet Joe Kwan (the cellist) because he was just hanging out at the bar before the show. I saw TAB again the next summer, a few months before the "I and Love and You" EP came out and it wasn't as exciting. They just didn't have the same raw energy as before. I chalk this up to a few factors, one being that between those two concerts, Seth and Scott both got married (lame!) and the other being that they were working on their first real "studio" album. There were way more people at this show, also at the House of Blues, and this was when I began to have doubts about the direction they were going .
As soon as the "I and Love and You" EP came out, I bought it, of course, but was so disappointed. "Laundry Room" was excellent and I liked "I and Love and You" but as soon as I heard "Kick-Drum Heart" I knew that those record executives had taken away their edge. When the full-length album came out, I listened to it a few times and haven't since. I just don't care for their cleaned up studio sound. Their original draw was the raw emotional edge that really shined when they played live and that had all been taken out in this new album. Yet it was their most popular record by far.
Now look at the difference between early TAB, other bands like Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers, Iron and Wine, The Decemberists, and the really popular new TAB, and Mumford and Sons. There is a difference in (I can't think of a better way of saying this) cleanliness in these different bands. I'm sure anyone could come up with other reasons and different band examples but the general public wants something that's easy to listen to. And now more and more people know about Iron and Wine from Twilight and The Decemberists have had their fair share of popularity but the fact that Mumford and Sons and TAB played at The Grammys and people actually recognized them, as opposed to Arcade Fire, says something big. These bands are popular with the general public. It is a big deal that TAB is opening for John Mayer at stadium shows and that Mumford and Sons sells out every concert and is playing all the big festivals this summer.
I'm not exactly sure what this all means but it's part of a rising trend in which indie music is becoming more and more popular. Which then questions the title of indie. Granted, indie folk is probably the most accessible of all the indie genres (just wait for the day we see a duet of Coco Rosie and Antony and the Johnsons at The Grammys... Ha!) but that doesn't mean that indie music is becoming more popular. With the growing dissatisfaction with pop stars, including basically all the performances at the Super Bowl, and the musical growth that has resulted in the realization that all of Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Enrique Iglesias songs sounding the same, no matter how catchy they may be, more and more people are turning to indie music to find satisfaction.
Thoughts?
PS (edit the day after...) I forgot to mention a key indicator in the rising popularity of Mumford and Sons and The Avett Brothers: Both of their albums are sold at Starbucks. Now the new Decemberists album was there for a short period of time but I only saw it one day at one of the Starbucks that I go to.
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Grammys
I watched the Grammys from start to finish last night and there were several interesting observations that I made.
1. The significant, albeit small, inclusion of more indie bands in the awards. The fact that Mumford and Sons, The Avett Bros., and Arcade Fire all were amongst the performers was astounding to me. Their participation shows the ever-growing popularity of indie and alternative music, especially indie folk, a subject that merits it's own post which will be coming later.
2. The fact that The Suburbs won best album and that Esperanza Spalding won best new artist were incredible. Those two awards proved the Grammys to no longer be a popularity contest. Justin Beiber and Katy Perry didn't win anything and Lady Gaga and Eminem walked away with 2 a piece, when they were both nominated for more, show that the academy is taking the music more seriously rather than the popularity of the artists. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the world but whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com proves otherwise...
3. Cee Lo Green beat out Lady Gaga for most outrageous performance! The Ga was practically boring for her standards and Cee Lo had muppets, Gwyneth Paltrow, and a suit made of feathers. He also had an amazing performance and despite the fact that I love "Born This Way," "F*** You" (or "The Song Also Known as Forget You" according to the Grammys, which was frankly hysterical) was a much more engaging and captivating performance. Cee Lo has made it to Elton John standards as far as performance gusto is concerned, especially with those great circle sunglasses.
4. Bob Dylan is REALLY old.
Anyway, it was an entertaining few hours and a great way to spend a Sunday night.
1. The significant, albeit small, inclusion of more indie bands in the awards. The fact that Mumford and Sons, The Avett Bros., and Arcade Fire all were amongst the performers was astounding to me. Their participation shows the ever-growing popularity of indie and alternative music, especially indie folk, a subject that merits it's own post which will be coming later.
2. The fact that The Suburbs won best album and that Esperanza Spalding won best new artist were incredible. Those two awards proved the Grammys to no longer be a popularity contest. Justin Beiber and Katy Perry didn't win anything and Lady Gaga and Eminem walked away with 2 a piece, when they were both nominated for more, show that the academy is taking the music more seriously rather than the popularity of the artists. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the world but whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com proves otherwise...
3. Cee Lo Green beat out Lady Gaga for most outrageous performance! The Ga was practically boring for her standards and Cee Lo had muppets, Gwyneth Paltrow, and a suit made of feathers. He also had an amazing performance and despite the fact that I love "Born This Way," "F*** You" (or "The Song Also Known as Forget You" according to the Grammys, which was frankly hysterical) was a much more engaging and captivating performance. Cee Lo has made it to Elton John standards as far as performance gusto is concerned, especially with those great circle sunglasses.
4. Bob Dylan is REALLY old.
Anyway, it was an entertaining few hours and a great way to spend a Sunday night.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
I didn't spell that wrong....
I did choose paper airplaines on purpose. I know that airplaines is not spelled "correctly" but I wanted to use plaines to incorporate my upbringing in the suburbs of Chicago. I will always remember going to visit my friend in Seattle for the first time and remarking about the amazing mountains that surrounded us. She laughed and told me those were just hills. But in Chicago, a hill is about 3 feet tall. 10 maybe but that's broaching mountain height.
And here is my blog. It's not the first time I've had a blog, nor will it probably be the last but this will be a bit different from what I have done before. In early high school, I had my livejournal, which mostly consisted of me complaining about my friends and being extra passive aggressive when I would be in a fight with someone.
This will just be a place where I will focus on media that I consume. Books I read, music I've been listening to, movies I've seen, and whatever general information I find to be interesting. No complaining about my life, no detailing my day to day, or anything that I don't find interesting outside of myself.
And to start, I'll list the books that I've read thus far this year:
1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, which was fantastic and I highly recommend.It seems like a story about all these dysfunctional people that happen to be in the same family but has a great deal to say about the way that the suburbs change our priorities and how, despite non-traditional ways of showing it, this family all really is alike and loves each other. That makes the book sound way more corny than it is so don't go off my wonky description.
2. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. I love David Sedaris more than pretty much anything else in the world. And this collection didn't disappoint.
3. Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I usually don't have much time for cross-cultural heart wrenchers but this was a fantastic piece that didn't sugar coat anything and works its way into your heart with a little something that anyone can identify with.
4. The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. I'm not one to buy into stuff just because all the hipsters like it. And I will be the first to admit that I am basically a hipster. But I never got the whole Where the Wild Things Are craze. I didn't really like the movie and I was never a huge fan of the book when I was little (but if they made a Giving Tree movie, I'd be all over that), but I decided to give the book a chance. And it was better than the movie because the characters were developed a bit more and Max's internal dialogue helped give the story the arc and meaning that were missing from the movie.
And now, I'm reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. My friend Kathy deemed February "Tome Month" so when I finally plow my way through my tome of the month, I will discuss it on here.
So here goes! Let's hope I can keep this up.
And here is my blog. It's not the first time I've had a blog, nor will it probably be the last but this will be a bit different from what I have done before. In early high school, I had my livejournal, which mostly consisted of me complaining about my friends and being extra passive aggressive when I would be in a fight with someone.
This will just be a place where I will focus on media that I consume. Books I read, music I've been listening to, movies I've seen, and whatever general information I find to be interesting. No complaining about my life, no detailing my day to day, or anything that I don't find interesting outside of myself.
And to start, I'll list the books that I've read thus far this year:
1. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, which was fantastic and I highly recommend.It seems like a story about all these dysfunctional people that happen to be in the same family but has a great deal to say about the way that the suburbs change our priorities and how, despite non-traditional ways of showing it, this family all really is alike and loves each other. That makes the book sound way more corny than it is so don't go off my wonky description.
2. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. I love David Sedaris more than pretty much anything else in the world. And this collection didn't disappoint.
3. Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I usually don't have much time for cross-cultural heart wrenchers but this was a fantastic piece that didn't sugar coat anything and works its way into your heart with a little something that anyone can identify with.
4. The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. I'm not one to buy into stuff just because all the hipsters like it. And I will be the first to admit that I am basically a hipster. But I never got the whole Where the Wild Things Are craze. I didn't really like the movie and I was never a huge fan of the book when I was little (but if they made a Giving Tree movie, I'd be all over that), but I decided to give the book a chance. And it was better than the movie because the characters were developed a bit more and Max's internal dialogue helped give the story the arc and meaning that were missing from the movie.
And now, I'm reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. My friend Kathy deemed February "Tome Month" so when I finally plow my way through my tome of the month, I will discuss it on here.
So here goes! Let's hope I can keep this up.
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