A Shopping List For My Grandpa: The Results

Hey Everyone!

So if you have been keeping up, my Grandfather and I recently recently ran a small experiment. After reading my blog, he suggested that I come up with a list of 3 recommendations for him. He would buy the three albums, listen to them, and let me know what he thought. Well, we have our answer as to how well this little experiment worked.

First off, he mentioned that he had a very bad impression of what "rock" music is. He said it brought to mind loud, mosh pits, wailing guitars and high pitched vocals. I kind of figured this, and one goal I had in these suggestions was to show another end of the spectrum. Sure, rock music does typically envelope these ideas... but there are other forms of the genre that are softer, more mellow. Thats why I chose these albums, to show that. Below, I will list the three albums and tell you what my Grandpa had to say about each one!

1) Something Corporate's "North"

"A bit too much of a downer for my taste" said my Grandpa haha. But he admits that he did enjoy the prominence of the piano which overpowers the traditional lead guitar. The album is a bit angsty, I admit. However, I still love it. I think I chose it more for the songs as pieces, not the album as a whole. I did recommend Andrew's side project- Jacks Mannequin for some more upbeat music. Sure, Glass Passenger is about the struggles of Cancer... but its so hopeful! Thats the album that gets me up in the morning haha

2) Butch Walker's "Letters"

This was his favorite, as I suspected haha. My Grandpa is a big fan of musicals, and he actually ended up suggesting that Butch write his own musical! I think thats a fantastic idea, he should really think that over. He said, "His style and the genres of rock he plays seem to me to be perfectly suited to Broadway. He tells stories with simplicity and feeling. The music, soft and hard rock, seem to fit the lyrics like a glove". Couldnt have said it better myself! I'd LOVE to see a Butch Walker musical... I'm sure it would be beautiful.

3) Panic At The Disco's "Pretty. Odd."

He called this one "very pleasant". He mentioned how Folkin Around plays on the traditional concepts of country music. Oddly enough, I have to admit its one of my favorites on the album and yet, I am not a country fan in the least bit. Its just something I often cannot relate to. But this song, so simple in its construction, is just beautiful and full of emotion. Lines like "You've never been so divine in accepting your defeat, And I've never been more scared to be alone. If love is not enough to put my enemies to sleep, Then I'm putting out the lantern, Find your own way back home" are just stunning. Side Note: Grandpa emailed me again to let me know that he enjoyed this album so much that the volume control slipped away for a bit... he almost missed the repairman at the door who mentioned that he was "really rocking out" haha. I love it!

So thats that! Those are the results. I have to say, I think I did an alright job... I did what I set out to do, broaden the idea of rock music for my Grandpa, make him realize that its not all about mosh pits, anger and violence. Rock is a very broad, encompassing genre. There is a home for everything, and thats perhaps what sparked my love affair with it. Its a place I feel I belong, and I want others to see through my passion, that they too can belong. Be it indie, techno, classic, metal, goth, punk... there is always a style for you with a rock edge. I think I learned a lot about my Grandpa through this experiment, as much as it was originally intended to be the reverse. We learned from each other and thats perhaps the best result of this. Thanks for checking it out, maybe I'll do this again sometime with a new subject! It's kind of fun to help other people find new music :)

If you had the chance to pick music for someone in your life, who would it be and why?

What would you hope to take away from the experience?

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

A Shopping List For My Grandpa: Introduction

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year... its the start of a whole new decade and a start at a whole new life. I feel like this year has a lot of promise and I'm excited to see if it proves me right. Alright, although my writing is still going to be a little sparse, I am definitely going to lean myself back into it. I miss coming here and sharing music with my blog and any readers I may have. That being said, the topic of this blog may be slightly confusing and I'm going to clarify it for you!

Over the break, I wrote a few emails back and forth to my Grandfather. He said that he reads my blog and it allowed him to see and understand my passion for music although he has never had much of a passion for it himself. As a joke, he added "maybe its not too late for me yet" and I took this as a bit of a challenge being waved in front of me... could I find music that my Grandpa would perhaps enjoy? He gave me that challenge and asked me to come up with 3 CDs I recommend for him. 

Image: My artist rendition of my Grandpa listening to his new cds... created using SP Character Generator HERE

I thought this would be kind of a cool project to share... I'm curious to see if I can find music for another person with not much to go on. I mean, I'd like to think I know my Grandpa really well, but sometimes music can extend beyond typical associations we have of a person. Its a very tricky and personal thing, not easy to do if you dont have pretense as to what this person already listens to. In my world, music is my air. For my grandpa, its the background noise in his life. As such, its kind of challenging to get the attention directed towards the music. 

For this project, I'm going to pick music I like that I think my Grandpa MAY like. I cant be sure, but I figure its worth a shot and could be almost, a way for my Grandpa and I to understand each other :) So if this interests you, check back on Monday January 4th for my list! 3 albums by 3 different artists, I'm going to highlight specific songs that I think he should listen to as well as describe why I made each selection!

This is exciting, time to go narrow down my list!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Alternative Press Most Anticipated 2010 Issue Hits Shelves

Hey Everyone!

So I just got back from the store today with a fresh copy of Alt Press' annual "Most Anticipated" issue. Every year, they dedicate a block of pages to the upcoming year's most exciting prospected releases. This is one of my favorite issues because it gets me all hyped up for 12 months of new music from a lot of my favorite bands. It keeps you on track with who's writing, interviews about the albums writing/recording process from bands and producers, and allows you to start formulating ideas for possible tours of the new year. 

This year the big title of MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE was given to New Jersey boys, My Chemical Romance. After the 2007 release of Black Parade and constant touring, the band took a little break to have somewhat of a personal life. Getting married, having families, all that stuff. I think its about time they made a return, and from the sounds of it, a great one. They're reporting its a back to basics rock n roll album... no more theatrics, no more makeup, no more nonsense. Just pure, classic, rock. The inspiration behind tracks on the album are said to be Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, MC5, The Stooges, Judas Priest and Bon Jovi. Not bad. A little punk influence with classic rock style... so far it sounds pretty wicked. Combine this with song titles like "Black Dragon Fighting Society" and "Trans Am", its definitely a new direction for the guys. I'm interested to hear the final project, which is slated for a spring release date.

Other bands noted in the article include pop punk duo 3oH!3, poetic rockers The Academy Is, British hardcore group Bring Me The Horizon, breakthrough band Gaslight Anthem, techno nerds Hellogoodbye, young indie sensation NeverShoutNever and former Panic At The Disco boys new project Young Veins.

What albums are you looking forward to in 2010? Anything not listed here? Tell me!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: Our Lady of Sorrows by My Chemical Romance... forever my favorite MCR song. The first album I ever bought by them was I Brought You My Bullets. This is track five off that absolutely amazing record. A heavy melody, dark lyrics... its beautifully miserable. "We could be perfect one last night, and die like star crossed lovers when we fight... this riddle of revenge, please understand it has to be this way... We spark and fade they die by threes... Oh how wrong we were to think that immortality meant never dying" That last line is one of my all time favorite quotes. Can we say "to be inked" in the near future? haha.

Music Format: The Ongoing Debate

Hello Everyone!

So in a lot of my classes lately, the whole debate about changing music formats has become one of high interest. I mean, when you think about it, there are so many options out there old and new. Personally, my music collection is made up of a bit of everything... I have vinyl (both 7" & 12"), CDs, Itunes digital, cassettes, pretty much everything. I like to keep my mind open to different technologies. In terms of music, I feel like each format lets you interpret the tracks in a new way.  If I had to pick, I'd say I love vinyl the most. I always loved vinyl, but my parents were always too afraid to let me use their old school players for fear of me breaking it. But I got a record player for Christmas last year and its been a staple in my life ever since. I just cant get over the quality... the way it has its flaws, how it plays with little scratches and white noise. Its not perfect, not airbrushed and over edited, but its natural. Thats why its my favorite. There's just something about it that makes me feel like I'm in the studio, listening to the raw demos of each track as it plays... So now I turn the question to you, whats your favorite and why? Be it sound quality like me and vinyl, or maybe even wide availability like Itunes, I'd like to hear your thoughts!

Thanks, looking forward to getting some feedback from you guys!

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song of the Day: So Contagious by Acceptance : I saw these guys when I was in high school, one of my first (and certainly not my last) show at London's own Call The Office. Anyways, this song has been stuck in my head since then. Sadly, they've disbanded since then but I still love to play their CD. Hope you like it even half as much as I do.

On The Shelves This Week

I love tuesdays (and always have) for one reason... new music! Yes people, to a music fan like myself, every tuesday is Christmas and the local shops are Santa's bag of toys. Its the reward I get every week for making it through the dreaded monday. So for today's blog, here are a few new albums that hit the shelves today that might interest you.

Paramore- Brand New Eyes

As much as I'm a fan of Paramore, I have to say I wasn't really counting down the days until this album's release. Feels like Riot was released just last week with the hype recently surrounding this act. However, if the first single is any indication of what the rest of the album holds, it will join my personal collection soon enough. The energetic pop punk quartet is back with a new set of catchy tunes to add to your ipod. If a simple but memorable score fronted by a feisty redhead with the voice to match is your style, give this one a listen.

Alice In Chains- Black Gives Way To Blue

For all you 90s rock fans out there, this is pretty exciting. Today marks the first album by Alice In Chains in over ten years, yay! They were one of the bands who hit it big in the early nineties rise of the Seattle Grunge scene along side Nirvana and Pearl Jam. They never officially called it quits, but they went on a hiatus for many years due to their original vocalist's struggles with substances (he passed away in 2002 from an overdose). With a new singer (William DuVall) the band is ready for their second chance and from what I've heard, they've got a great sound laced with elements of both classic and modern techniques.

AFI- Crash Love

I was, and still am, quite curious about this album. I loved them when I was younger, I mean, this band has changed time and time again over the years. I love that they are not afraid to transcend the boundaries of genres... punk, pop, classic, metal, even techno, they sample everything. Borrowing different styles to create all new hybrid sounds that arent always successful, but are definitely creative. This album seems to be reviewed as a bit of a backtrack from their last work, away from the experimental and a return to their roots. So if you like AFI, particularly old AFI, check this out.

Landon Pigg- The Boy Who Never

This artist is a newer one (for me anyways) that I've been watching. An cute young indie artist with a kind of folk allure makes him a perfect fit for an upcoming chart climber. You've probably heard the single from this album even though its not exactly all over the airwaves... its on your TV! From One Tree Hill, to Grey's Anatomy, to AT&T commercials, he's everywhere. Who doesnt love sweet little indie styled guitar ballads about love? For the reason that this boy is on his way up, I'm recommending his album.

Ill Scarlett- 1up

I thought I'd add a Canadian to the list, its my national duty... to ensure the survival of our cultural industries... this is what MIT classes do to you by the way haha. Anyways, this band has been around the club scene for a while now. Their style is a working combination of modern reggae and punk that draws the audience into a feel good frenzy. This album seems to be taking on a bit of a turn towards more classic rock, but the elements of their signature sound are easy to hear.

Thats it for today, merry tuesday shopping!

Rock On,

- Girl At The Rock Show

Reading Between The Tracks

Happy Monday People... Or as happy as it can be I suppose haha

Do you ever find that when you buy a CD, you're quick to skip ahead to the tracks you know? To those catchy singles flooding the airwaves long before the album hit the shelves? We're all guilty of it, no use in denying it. Lately, I've been trying to catch myself and break this habit. The reason? In all honesty, most of the songs I grow to love are the ones I discover beneath the gimmicky singles. 

In the music industry, its all about mass market appeal. Its about what's going to sell to the highest percentage of the target group. As a result, the labels choose songs that fit into a specific mould. They have to define what's popular at the time. If its rock, then the label picks something with a heavy guitar riff and lyrics about teenage rebellion. If its rap, the label picks something about rough beginnings and a feature by the hot lyricist with impressive flow. And hey, even if it has to be country, the label throws a violin or a banjo into the mix... its all about sales and profit margins. But what about those songs that break the laws of popularity, the ones that don't fit into the radio charts of the day? 

I think its almost depressing when an incredible album is remembered only for its singles, or forgotten only because it never contained those catchy tracks. When I think of Nirvana, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is not the first thing that comes to mind... instead, its a little track called Something In The Way that has never let go of me. Buried beneath the hit list that is Nevermind, a lot of the beautiful pieces of music are left underrated. Lost in the shuffle. Grunge rock was popular at the time, not ballads with orchestral strings and harmonies. There is always a lot more to a group than those songs that hit billboard's number one spot, thats important to remember. 

So come on people, lets make a music resolution, make singles a dying breed. Challenge yourself to expand your horizons. The next time you hear a song on the radio that catches your attention, take down the artists name. Remember it. Then when you get home that night, go to Youtube, Lastfm, LaunchCast, Rhapsody, Itunes... whatever website you may choose (even if it happens to be a P2P network which I will ignore) and do some research. You may find that the rest of the bands style just isnt you. Maybe that track is a situation where mass marketing proved deceitful... but then again, maybe you'll discover that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe you'll find out that sure, that song they play at all the shows is great, but that one track in the middle of the album is where the band really gave it their all and thats the track that really speaks to you. You have nothing to lose, so give it a shot. Just listen to an album once... when you first buy it, put it in the CD played and just leave it alone. Dont touch it no matter how much your finger twitches. Let it play and who knows, maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised. 

Happy Listening One & All

Rock On!

- Girl At The Rock Show

Song Of The Day: Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meister

A lot of you probably recognize this as the hot new song climbing the charts. Thats why I picked it, to make a point. Not all singles are bad. I happen to love this song actually. Now, Cobra Starship has been around for a few years, picking up a few fans along the way with their dancey techno punk. Writing the title track for Snakes On A Plane as well as song placement in other popular Hollywood blockbusters probably didnt hinder their career progression either. That being said, what about the rest of their songs? Three albums later, this is the first time they've achieved commercial success on the radio. And yet, this song is a great representation of their career catalogue, its not a matter of times. This is the same music they have been playing for years. I have seen them play a few shows over the years and have watched as the crowds grew from fifty to five hundred. Singles arent ALL bad. They give bands who otherwise wouldn't have a chance, their 15 minutes to show us what they can do and I obviously support that. Singles can be great, but don't skip through the rest of the songs without giving them a fair chance. Dont hold other tracks in comparison to one, okay? Now grab a dance partner and click that link!