Yes Yes Yes or New Music Mondays

What's up guys, how's the week starting out for you? Good? Bad? In between? Well, I got to thinking- what's a good way to start the week? And, of course, the answer was... new music! So, today, The Summer Music Project starts a new segment called (drumroll please) New Music Mondays! This happily means that every Monday you can log onto this awesome little blog of ours and find a new song to get stuck in your head until next Monday rolls around.

The first song for New Music Mondays happens to be by a seasoned band out with a new album on the 22nd called Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys. It's only appropriate I picked this song, since lately my musical tastes have been focused on punk and hard rock/metal.



This song is "Na Na Na" by My Chemical Romance, a rock band originally from New Jersey. I've heard some of their older stuff (i.e "Welcome To The Black Parade" and "Helena"), so I was happy to see they haven't lost that pzazz. I think you guys will like it. Happy Monday kids!

-Whitni

Stay Off Of Tumblr

I know, I know, I just put up the awesome new Tumblr version of our blog. Sadly though, there is some weird hacking stuff going down between a site called 4chan and Tumblr, and it involves porn, spamming, and the 'takeover' of Tumblr. While I doubt they will actually takeover Tumblr, some hacking will probably happen.

So, if you are following over 1,000 people, you need to change your password and disable your ask button.

Everyone needs to not newly follow anybody or click on any links or posts.

In fact, its best if you just stay off of Tumblr for the week. I don't want you guys to get spammed by porn. I know it will be hard, but there is something you can do, surely? Go to the library and really listen to some of the new music Whit and I have recommended. Here's one- "We Care" by MGMT.

See you on Tumblr NEXT week,
Rai

All's Fair In Licks and Lies

You think politics and eventually you get around to thinking music. The same goes for the other way around. Music and politics have had an interesting relationship over the last 200 or so years.

Your probably wondering why I'm talking about politics on a music blog, right? Well, the other day I happened to look up at a picture I have of Ben Gibbard and read the quote under his picture:

"If we can survive the Bush administration, we can survive anything."

That got me thinking- what was the effect of this comment on the general public? Did people begin thinking about the Bush administration and it's outcome more because Gibbard commented on it?

Gibbard's not the only one dipping his toes in the political pond. Musicians like Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Natalie Maines (The Dixie Chicks) and many more have all made comments here or there about certain figures in politics. One noteworthy one is a comment made by Mrs. Maines.

"Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

She made this statement on the eve of the Iraqi invasion in 2003 and received hell for it. She later apologized for it, but the damage was done. She began receiving hate mail and even a death threat and later recounted the apology. Luckily for her (and her husband and two kids), the hoopla has died down. But for all the trouble she went through, her comment still stands. Interestingly enough, she said this right before the band performed "Travelin' Solider", a sad World War II song.

The Dixie Chicks aren't the first musicians to make a war/political song. The list of anti-war songs goes on and on. From "It Better End Soon", one of many end-the-Vietnam-war anthems to "Sunday Bloody Sunday", a song inspired by a tragedy in Derry, Ireland that U2 couldn't ignore, to "Hey Ma" by James, a Manchester band who describes 9/11 and the Iraqi war.



I posted this specific video because it is my all-time favorite political rock song. Well, that and I know the story behind the song. If you're wondering what that story is check out the movie Bloody Sunday, not to plug it or anything.

Not surprisingly, a lot of the mixing of music and politics has to do with just that- war. Without war and corruption it's debatable if musicians would have ever step foot in politics.

But, when one takes a long hard look at it, it makes perfect sense why musicians and politics come together like so, and why the music is usually anti- something, be it war, tragedy, or just "The Man" in general.

Music surrounds us. It's involved in almost every aspect of our lives and we hear it every day, even if we don't even turn on the radio. And often times we, as people, don't always keep up on politics as much as we should, so music kind of reminds us to think about things like- "What is my government doing in the Middle East?" or "Are the reasons why we're still in this war really valid or true?"

Which brings me to another point- truth. Politicians are known for covering up the truth and while uncovering it is usually the journalist's job, the musicians of the world do well in exploiting in and making it known. This can work in all aspects of the modern world, like how Stevie Wonder used his song "Village Ghetto Land" to alert people to the reality of poverty in the United States. Ice Cube did the same thing in his song "Hood Mentality". Instead of making the purpose of the song clear, however, he raps under the idea that he wants to be a inner-city gangster. He's really trying to get across the message that being a gangster is nothing to yearn for. It's a read-between-the-lines kind of song. Be careful is you decide to listen to it though, it's all kinds of explicit.

Music stirs up all kinds of emotions in people, and if you throw politics into that mix, well, things can get messy. Musicians have always written how they feel, or about what they see or experience, and they always will. This relationship, it's delicate, but necessary. What's the point of free speech if our musicians can't bag on the government every now and again? Besides, it makes for interesting music.

-Whitni

The picture at the top is of the late John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono. Posters and billboards were rented in eleven cities and read: WAR IS OVER (if you want it). John and Yoko are two of the most notable examples of the mixture of music and politics.

Like A Little Tumblr

You know, a little kid? A tumbler? Whatever, you get it! We now have a Tumblr edition of this blog. Exciting, I know.

http://thesummermusicproject.tumblr.com/

ATTN: We are not moving the blog. The blog will always sit here in this nice and cozy blogspot. I made Tumblr this for two reasons:

1) For people who read the blog and are on Tumblr to have even easier access. This way, you won't have to go there and here. But, if you want the most authentic feel, like seeing what we're listening to and the awesome polls made up by our very own Whitni, then stick around. Personally, I encourage it. We have cookies.

2) To reach more people. Everyone wants new friends, right? New playmates, new buddies, new Tumblers! I'm hoping that soon we will be featured on the Music directory on Tumblr. First though, I have to figure out how to put up music.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to email me at walnuts13@gmail.com. Please don't abuse my email or sell it though, I kinda love it.

Stay cool.
Raivynn

Printers, Babies and Rollarskates

So, chances are you've seen that new HP Printer commercial with the baby zooming across the U.S in a baby bouncer (also called a play saucer). She zooms past cows in a field and weaves through traffic like a pro. It's actually pretty humorous. The video was too big for the blog, but I did manage to get the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p02DgHeGdyI&feature=related

There's a little folk song that plays during the commercial that's stuck in my head so, of course, I had to look it up. With a little digging I found the song- "Brand New Key" by Melanie Safka.



Melanie Safka, who often went by just Melanie, was most popular from the late sixties through the late eighties, though she's really one of those singers who was never really that popular. She's still recording though. This particular song came out in 1971 on the album Gather Me. I love the lyrics and the folk influence, especially since I'm going through a indie folk/indie/folk stage. Have fun with this one kids.

-Whitni

You Like It Or You Don't

Two words dudes- Alternative Country.

Now, I bet you're thinking, what the hell is alternative country? Where did this genre come from and the biggest question of all- is it any good?

According to my sources (my sources being the same sources you have, the internet), alt-country became popular around the 1960s, with peeps like Gram Parsons and The Byrds. Artists like Neil Young and Wilco (who have an album on the countdown) have made the combination of country and experimental music/rock/indie successful. Some say a young man named Ryan Adams is also a trooper at making good alt-country, but I beg to differ.

The album in review, Heartbreaker, was the first solo album for Adams. It came out ten years ago when he decided to trek out on his own without his band, Whiskeytown. If you were to Google this album and then look at my review you'd probably be a little confused. All the reviews speak highly of Adams, saying this album is a masterpiece, great alternative country, blah blah blah blah blah. I'll tell you what it really is- it's boring!

Now, I'm not saying that compared to punk, rock, grunge, etc, it's boring. I'm simply saying this album is nothing to rave about. For a majority of the songs it felt like Adams didn't really put a whole lot of effort into his music.

Of course there were a couple of good tunes. I liked the song "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" a song with just the right mixture of pop, twang and grit (no, that's not a genre) to create something worth recording. Songs like "My Winding Wheel", "Bartering Lines" and "Why Do You Leave" also throw some good stuff in there.

One song, "Oh My Sweet Carolina" started out all right. With just a guitar and Adams, it made you feel like you were sitting under a shade tree in Alabama. But then, it all came crashing down. Emmylou Harris just had to start singing, messing the whole thing up. If that name sounds familiar, it is! Harris also partnered up with Conor Oberst, the lead singer of Bright Eyes, who made the first album we reviewed on this blog. You can read that review at http://summermusicproject.blogspot.com/2010/06/and-countdown-begins.html

Listening to the album a second time around I could see a little bit more talent, a little bit more potential. You obviously hear Adams has a good voice, but this just wasn't his best album. Alternative and country aren't the easiest genres to mix and you've got to have a good sense of your musical self to do it well. I haven't listened to Adams more recent stuff other than a cover he did a of Oasis's "Wonderwall", which was good! Just listening to this cover made me confident that Adams is figuring out who he is, in a musical sense, and what kind of music he wants to make. That said, this cover, in my opinion, definitely does NOT top the Oasis version of the song, which is one of my favorite songs of all time.



But you can decide for yourself right here!



Overall, Ryan Adams has talent. It's just much harder to find in this particular album. Listen at your own risk.

-Whitni

Gram Parson, who was a country rock musician, said this of alternative country-
"It's music...either it's good or it's bad... either you like it or you don't!"