Chris Brown's Awkward Message to Fans

Following last year's scandal where he physically abused Rhianna, Chris Brown is so desperate to win back fans that he is recording audio messages asking them for support. In the awkward message, Brown states that a lot of radio stations aren't playing his records, and that he "can't be an underground mixtape artist". Coming off equal parts arrogant and pitiful, Brown often stumbles over his words and laughs nervously.

When you're a celebrity that makes a grave error in your personal life, fans take it to heart. Fans expect their favorite celebrities to set an example, and domestic abuse is not something that anyone takes lightly. Though an artist's work should stand independently of their personal life, we live in a world where pop culture is often the central focus of the news. It is easily accessible for anyone with a computer or internet capable handheld device.

Musicians and other celebrities are human, and therefore make mistakes just like everyone else.

I'm not a fan of Brown's music, but I am a fan of Scott Weiland's. Weiland was arrested for domestic violence several years ago, and it didn't make me want to stop listening to his music. It made me sad for him as a human being, that he couldn't get his act together, but I will always be a fan of his music.

Should the less than reputable actions of a musician be taken into consideration when judging their music?

When a musician you love does something stupid, does it change your opinion of them?

Deftones-Rocket Skates

The Deftones have released a new track, titled "Rocket Skates". It's from their upcoming album, Diamond Eyes, due out May 18th.

This album is their first release since 2006's Saturday Night Wrist, and also marks the first album without bass player Chi Cheng. Cheng was involved in a car accident in November 2008 that left him with severe injuries, rendering him in a minimally conscious state from which he is still recovering.

"Rocket Skates" is a hard hitter, assaulting the senses right out of the gate. It's reminiscent of their early work, and much more heavy than anything they've put out in recent years.

I look forward to hearing the album in its entirety.

Which Deftones album is your favorite and why?

Musicians and Tragedies

In light of Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse's recent death, I found it appropriate to address this subject. It seems the words "creative people" and "tortured soul" go hand in hand. What is it that drives some of music's most talented individuals to abuse their bodies, or worse, commit suicide?

The reason his death is even more hard to swallow is he survived a brush with death once, and he still ended his own life. Paraphrased from Wikipedia:

While on tour in 1996, Linkous overdosed on alcohol and other substances in his London hotel room. Rendered unconscious by the combination of drugs, he collapsed with his legs pinned beneath him, and remained in that position for almost fourteen hours. The resulting potassium buildup caused his heart to stop for several minutes after his body was lifted up. Subsequent surgeries saved both legs but left him wheelchair bound for months.

I recently discussed here the deaths of Layne Staley and Bradley Nowell, two more musicians with a history of drug abuse and depression. Personally, I have never battled depression, so it is difficult for me to wrap my head around wanting to end my life.

Kurt Cobain, Jon Bonham, Ian Curtis, Shannon Hoon, Hillel Slovak...just to name a few. All with a history of depression, drug and alcohol abuse, or both.

So sad that so many talented individuals couldn't find the help they so desperately needed to turn things around.

Anyone Can Play Guitar

Unusual Instrument Usage in Modern Pop Music

The standard roles in a five piece band are lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.

Some bands are not satisfied with traditional instrumentation. Bored with the lineup, they go looking for ways to alter their sound, such as Radiohead did by eliminating their label as "guitar rock". They incorporated instruments such as a glockenspiel, as well as drum machines and samplers. A Perfect Circle's debut album, Mer De Noms relies heavily on gourd instruments and violins to set the often dark theme of the music. The White Stripes experimented heavily with the marimba on their album Get Behind Me Satan, and The Roots have evolved over the years to include a sousaphone as a regular part of their lineup.

Some bands don't just experiment on a song or two, but use unusual instruments as part of their regular lineup. In addition to the traditional guitar, bass, and drums, Dave Matthews Band has a violinist and saxophonist.

Artists like Robert Randolph and Ben Harper forgo the standard electric guitar in favor of pedal steel and lap steel guitars. Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson use a ukulele.

Beck is so experimental with unusual instruments, that I had to use wikipedia and google images to figure out what some of them were. The list includes: sitar, banjo, glockenspiel, slide guitar, vocoder, and melodica.

Musicians that think outside of the box make some of the most creative and beautiful compositions.

What are some of your favorite examples of unusual instruments in contemporary music?

Blog Riffing Challenge Topic #4

Tonight's question is as follows: How did our parents' taste in music (or non-taste, for that matter) shape our own likes and dislikes?

This is the easiest one of all. My mom went to three concerts while I was still in the womb: Springsteen, Rush, and The Allman Brothers. When I was five years old, she took me to my first concert: Julian Lennon. She and my father taught me almost everything I know about the genre known as "classic rock". They introduced me to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Monkees, and a lot of other bands I still love to this day.

As for dislikes, my mom is a huge fan of Prog-rock, such as Yes and The Moody Blues. I don't particularly care for these bands anymore. As soon as I began to develop my own taste, I stopped listening to those bands. They're just not my taste, as an adult.

As for non-taste, my dad doesn't like much by the way of contemporary music. He'd prefer to stay firmly planted somewhere around 1975, musically speaking, with very little exception.

When I read this question, non-taste really jumped out at me as an experience my husband had. Kris's parents listen to country, christian music, and a smattering of 80s bands like Journey and REO Speedwagon.

Anyone that reads this and knows my husband knows that he is a bigger music elitist than I am. He learned nearly everything he knows about music, classic and contemporary, on his own.

We're taking all of the passion we have about music of all kinds and passing it on to Jonas. It is our responsibility as parents to give him a well-rounded musical education.

Blog Riffing Challenge: Topic # 3

The question is: "What did you hate in high school that you now love? Vice versa?"

My answer is:

Hated: Most rap and hip-hop, for starters. Music was not as easily accessible when I was in high school as it is now. I didn't have a home computer and internet until after I graduated, so I couldn't search for music and skim articles for new things. I also didn't have a lot of friends that were into hip-hop. The ones that were liked the pop garbage you hear on Top 40 radio. When I went to college, I discovered Outkast, The Roots, Goodie Mob, and Q-Tip. When I met Kris, he introduced me to a lot of good indie hip-hop: Mr. Lif, Aesop Rock, and El Producto. The entire Definitive Jux label has a great roster of guys you won't hear on the radio.

I also hated female singers. I've revised this over the years for the likes of Shirley Manson, Beth Gibbons, and a handful of others. I still don't like most of them, but that's an improvement upon the zero I liked in high school.

Loved: SmashMouth. I loved Steve Harwell's silly personality and bouncy lyrics. I bet I'd probably still like parts of Fush Yu Mang if I heard it today, if for nothing else but the nostalgia factor. After hearing them on every children's film soundtrack for the last ten years, I quit giving a damn.

Sugar Ray. Hmm. I don't even know how to explain that one away. Haha.

Counting Crows. I think my love for them began to fade when I saw them perform live for the first time. Adam Duritz doesn't just take liberties with his songs, he completely rearranges the composition when he plays them live. I've never been one to want a live performance to be a note-perfect rendition of the album track. But can it at least sound like it's in the same galaxy?

Pearl Jam. I know I'll get a fight on this one from the diehards, but I quit caring about their music three albums ago. I'm not the a-hole that thinks Ten is their best work and their only listenable material. Quite the contrary. Vitalogy, No Code, and Yield all have great tracks and shining moments. Maybe I outgrew them. Maybe they outgrew me. Sorry, Vedder.

What do you listen to now that's different from your tastes when you were younger?

Ed Note: The photo included in this blog was taken my Sophomore year of high school, at Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando.

RIP, Rock Star

I was recently asked which dead performer I missed out on seeing live. Two men from the same era came to mind instantly: Brad Nowell and Layne Staley.

When I first became aware of Sublime in 1994, Bradley Nowell had just overdosed on heroin. I was barely a fan before the opportunity to see him perform live went away.

Sixteen years later, I still listen to the albums fondly, but am also chilled to the core at times by how miserable he was with his life. The same can be said for Layne Staley. Reading lyrics to songs like "Down in a Hole" and "Angry Chair", it's painful and heart wrenching to imagine what his life must have been like, especially at the end. There is so much despair and desperation in the music of these two men. It is difficult to listen to, and hauntingly beautiful all at once. I have a strange fascination, that borders on obsessive, when it comes to rockstar junkies. But that is a blog for another day, my friends.

For the two or three of you that actually comment on these blogs, let me say in advance: I chose two contemporary artists, because I wasn't even alive yet when John Lennon was killed. I can't take some of the greats into consideration if I was too young or not in existence to attend a concert!

Who did you miss out on seeing live?

"Loneliness is not a phase
Field of pain is where I graze
Serenity is far away"