Parrot Death Metal exists.
Hatebeak..... wow.
They have a song called, "The Thing That Should Not Beak"
lolololol
Pitbull Grindcore exists.
Caninus
A band fronted by 2 pit-bull terriers.
lololololol
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Greatest Frontman of All Time?
So recently, xfm listeners voted on the greatest frontman of all time. So the parameters are pretty much set and clear. All time (alive or dead). Frontman (so not greatest singer). Greatest.
The list as follows:
01. Liam Gallagher
02. Freddie Mercury
03. Dave Gahan
04. Dave Grohl
05. Matt Bellamy
06. Brandon Flowers
07. Morrissey
08. Jim Morrison
09. Kurt Cobain
10. Alex Turner
11. Paul Weller
12. Mick Jagger
13. Tom Meighan
14. Eddie Vedder
15. Joe Strummer
16. Ian Curtis
17. Caleb Followill
18. Ian Brown
19. Thom Yorke
20. Chris Martin
Now this list is sorta interesting. Of course this is a very British list which would explain the very British heavy list. Now my personal list would have had Mercury at #1. But that's my own personal opinion.
But what is more interesting is Liam at #1 and (through the grapevine) the gripe I hear about Grohl being #1. Now for the Grohl part, I understand why people think he's this awesome "rock star" blah blah blah, hell even Lemmy likes him. However, being a great frontman has nothing to do about being liked. There's no doubt that Grohl comes off as a great person and someone you would want to hangout with, however that has little bearing on if you are a great frontman. People who are liked generally are suited to a profession in politics; there is no connection with being a great frontman. Is Grohl a great frontman? welll............................................................... ya, sure why not? :P
look, Grohl doesn't command the stage like most frontmen. He commands the stage because he is the band The Foo Fighters (keep dreaming if you think people still remember him as the drummer for Nirvana). Grohl doesn't "ooze" of anything, he's just good, not great. If you think of people that just "ooze" greatness you think: Jagger, Bowie, Kiedis, Farrell, Weiland, Plant, etc.
And Grohl doesn't command power on stage like: Dio, Dickinson, Hetfield, Johnny Rotten, etc. Grohl is just good, nothing more. Combine that would him being a likeable person and there lies the bias for Grohl. Nothing against him, just against all those people who think that he is the greatest thing ever.
Now for Liam, well, certainly not my choice for #1 however, he does have a place at the top. Let's get this one thing straight, Liam doesn't have a good voice. It's like John Lennon... but worse. He might that as a complement... anyways. Liam does one thing like one else does. He commands the stage, he demands it. Liam is probably one of the only frontman ever, that could get up on any stage, and with both hands behind his back, have the crowd in the palm of his hand. It's a crazy phenomenon. Liam is the definition of a defiant rock star. That pose he gives behind the microphone, as an audience instantly draws your attention and then you're trapped. Ya, I've seen all the hate Liam gets. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that Liam is one hell of a frontman and there aren't many who can just walk up on stage and already have the show won over.
The list as follows:
01. Liam Gallagher
02. Freddie Mercury
03. Dave Gahan
04. Dave Grohl
05. Matt Bellamy
06. Brandon Flowers
07. Morrissey
08. Jim Morrison
09. Kurt Cobain
10. Alex Turner
11. Paul Weller
12. Mick Jagger
13. Tom Meighan
14. Eddie Vedder
15. Joe Strummer
16. Ian Curtis
17. Caleb Followill
18. Ian Brown
19. Thom Yorke
20. Chris Martin
Now this list is sorta interesting. Of course this is a very British list which would explain the very British heavy list. Now my personal list would have had Mercury at #1. But that's my own personal opinion.
But what is more interesting is Liam at #1 and (through the grapevine) the gripe I hear about Grohl being #1. Now for the Grohl part, I understand why people think he's this awesome "rock star" blah blah blah, hell even Lemmy likes him. However, being a great frontman has nothing to do about being liked. There's no doubt that Grohl comes off as a great person and someone you would want to hangout with, however that has little bearing on if you are a great frontman. People who are liked generally are suited to a profession in politics; there is no connection with being a great frontman. Is Grohl a great frontman? welll............................................................... ya, sure why not? :P
look, Grohl doesn't command the stage like most frontmen. He commands the stage because he is the band The Foo Fighters (keep dreaming if you think people still remember him as the drummer for Nirvana). Grohl doesn't "ooze" of anything, he's just good, not great. If you think of people that just "ooze" greatness you think: Jagger, Bowie, Kiedis, Farrell, Weiland, Plant, etc.
And Grohl doesn't command power on stage like: Dio, Dickinson, Hetfield, Johnny Rotten, etc. Grohl is just good, nothing more. Combine that would him being a likeable person and there lies the bias for Grohl. Nothing against him, just against all those people who think that he is the greatest thing ever.
Now for Liam, well, certainly not my choice for #1 however, he does have a place at the top. Let's get this one thing straight, Liam doesn't have a good voice. It's like John Lennon... but worse. He might that as a complement... anyways. Liam does one thing like one else does. He commands the stage, he demands it. Liam is probably one of the only frontman ever, that could get up on any stage, and with both hands behind his back, have the crowd in the palm of his hand. It's a crazy phenomenon. Liam is the definition of a defiant rock star. That pose he gives behind the microphone, as an audience instantly draws your attention and then you're trapped. Ya, I've seen all the hate Liam gets. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that Liam is one hell of a frontman and there aren't many who can just walk up on stage and already have the show won over.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
So... Why I left Dovetails
One of the great mysteries of life... is Paul dead? is Elvis dead? where's Biggie and Tupac?
Oh life... full of its mysteries and wonders.
So, I was meaning to make this posting a long time ago (when I actually left Dovetails). Strange how life takes you away. But since today was pretty much a wasted day for me, I'm going to finish what I started.
So at this point, it's official my former band has decided to end the journey of Dovetails and go on their own new path "Gentlemen on the Rocks". Which is a slight bittersweet moment. On one hand, it would have been nice to see the Dovetails banner flying high; and to be able to say "I helped start that". On the other hand, how much emotional strain would I have for that band if they did make it huge, and I would regret leaving in the first place? It's an interesting situation, which I sometimes question on my own favourite bands. Metallica, when Cliff died, should have they gone on? We all know the numbers, the answer is yes based on that. But is it really the Metallica that would have evolved if Cliff didn't die? Probably not. How is Cliff dying different from Bonham dying? Why did one band stop and the other keep going. Or maybe in similar scene, how is Moon dying different from Bonham dying? It's interesting to ponder these questions and really there is no one answer for any of these. It's up to the remaining members of the band to decide what they want to do. In the case of death it is up to the band members. In the case of band members wanting to leave and leaving... why should the parting have any say in a band they're going to quit? In the case of band members being pushed out? That's a much more complicated issue. However, if there are bands where people are being pushed out... *nudge nudge.... Van Halen.... then you have much bigger problems.
So, now that leaves me with ME. Why oh why did I leave? Well for one, which might be the obvious, I need to take a break from music. My last year of school... holy it was back in September?... jeez.... didn't realize it was so long ago. I for myself, need to focus and prove to myself that I can finish something that isn't music. Something that is worth something. So ya, that was one thing. Second thing, which is probably much more insightful is that I don't really have that much fun playing Dovetails' music any more. I mean, I will always love and remember playing Live to Live on stage. Damn, Eric really did a masterpiece with that one. But in terms of the back catelogue, I just don't feel the magic with it. Are they bad songs? In my opinion, not really. Are they great songs? No, not really either. They're just good, for me anyways.
At the core of Dovetails, it was always an experiment. The name speaks for itself. The amalgamation of seemingly completely unrelated things in perfect harmony and unison; that's what Dovetails means and stands for. Eric with the heavy blues influence. Cappello with the mainstream, almost pop-sensibilities of rock. And me, the progressive pusher. So you have some one in the band who takes cares of the soul, heart, and feeling of the songs; someone who takes care of the listen-ability and entertainment value of the songs; and someone who pushes the songs to somewhere that would never be taken otherwise. Was it a unique sound? No. But if you dug into the music, the arrangements, there my friend you will find we were no ordinary band. No, if you ask me to compare Dovetails to another band, even I would have a hard time making that connection.
Eric: over the years I've seen this guy grow and grow as a musician. Of course there is still much growing that he must do, however, what he has accomplished in personal growth is something to be applauded. I still remember that first time playing with him. There was that timid little spark in him, something that spoke to me. There's something to be said about a musician who get's thrown into a new situation that he has never been in before and be able to adapt and fight to belong. Cappello and I have a certain way of doing things.... it's called laziness. We go with the flow. When that happens, chaos is what ensues. The train keeps a rollin' and you better hold on for dear life because that train has no tracks and it goes where ever it pleases. This really was the first lesson, of what it means to be a musician, that Eric learned. I think that first song we stood on one chord for like 10 mins. I think it was either an E or an A. 10 mins is a long time to play one song, it's even longer when you are stuck on one chord. What I heard next... jeez... this is what a musician is. He might not have known what he was doing (truthfully, none of us do), but he was milking that chord like it was no one's business. This is the problem with music today, it's regressed into oblivion. I understand why punk music evolved the way it did, because it was minimalist art. But why do we accept it for all other genres of music? Why do we not have piano, forte, mezzo forte, fortissimo, pianissimo in recorded music? Is it because it's just that much harder for recording engineers to level it? Well fuck that. I want my dynamics. Why the hell do bands record with a metronome? Leave that at home, when you are practising. I'm sorry, did Mozart over say, play his piece at 88 bpm? NOOOOO!!!! He clearly wrote a range 76 - 92 bpm!!!!! Why do we use andante (76-108 bpm), largo (40-60 bpm), allegro (120-168 bpm), etc, etc, ETC!!!!! No music is about expression. So let it be about expression!!! If I'm going to record something with a metronome I might as well get a computer to play my instrument. ANYWAYS.... lol.... ya so Eric's first lesson, music is expression; and the hardest (but the most effective) way to learn that is, what can you express with one chord?
Cappello: one of my oldest friends and we started this band together. Fond memories of that first song we ever wrote. It didn't really go anywhere but I still know the riff. It's not every day that the rhythm section starts a band. Normally it's some singer or guitarist or pianist (some lead instrument) that decides to start a band with other people. But for some strange reason the rhythm section started this band (probably foreshadowing of the peculiar ways this band does things). I never really had to teach Cappello anything, he's a great musician and has been on the drums for much longer than I have been on bass and eric has been on guitar combined. What you might not know about him, is that he has an incredible ear. Which is like, "oh great, the one who doesn't need to worry about notes has a good ear" :P. Strangely enough, I was never interested in pursuing this question, but I have my suspicion that he might have perfect pitch or some strange drummer mutant form of it. That not in those movie-absurdity type of ways, but those aptitude to hone it in and really use it effectively. Actually, now thinking of it he probably doesn't have perfect pitch, however he does have strange drummer's ability to replicate anything up to his ability. I've always found that odd/intriguing. As always, he's my go to guy. If I ever need a drummer, he'll be number 1 on my list.
Daguanno: I feel like I should say a little something about Daguanno because people might wonder about the situation between the former bass player and the current one. As a fan of other bands, I certainly would be interested in such a question, of how Newstead feels about Rob. anyways. I will forever be grateful for all those times Daguanno filled in for me for those Dovetails shows. Honestly and truthfully, there is no jealously; trust me, if I said no way, Eric and Cappello would not have done those shows. I wanted Daguanno to play those shows, it allowed me 1) to be free of obligation and not have to give up parts of my life to do these specific shows. and 2) it gave me a perspective what Cappello and Eric were capable of without me. If anything him doing those shows for me was a sigh of relief. Now as him as the new bassist, I'm glad. I'm slightly worried that fall into the hole of trying to fill my shoes. If there's one word of advice, I would say to do your own thing. As I write this I'm listening to some of the re-recorded songs and new songs they posted. Not entirely happy... actually my face looks like troll face right now, however, in the end I'm happy he chose to do his own thing and be his own musician. It's definitely not what I would have laid down... and maybe that's the point.
So in summary, I hope those guys are doing what they love and are really enjoying it. Now that they don't have an evil dictator breathing down their necks, I'm sure they're having a lot more fun and doing things that they've always wanted to do but I would never allow it. I've got to admit as much as I like pushing boundaries of music, there's parts of me that are very restrictive and conservative. It's a strange oxymoron. Although, I don't agree without a lot of things they've done with their music, who am I to say any more? I'm no longer in that band, and what they do, they do for themselves, not me. I really do wish them luck with everything they do in the future. I parted ways with Dovetails a long time ago, and I've never looked back. No regrets, truthfully. As I keep going on my own journey, it will be interesting to see where the music will take me. And as I write this, I wonder what will happen in 2 months time. And for some strange reason I have a strange sense of insecurity of not being good enough to re-join the world of music. Only time will tell where I will end up. Hope I didn't forget anything in my closure of this chapter of my life. After this, the story ends on Dovetails and a new chapter beings. *insert inspirational quote* I like this one "No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions."
Oh life... full of its mysteries and wonders.
So, I was meaning to make this posting a long time ago (when I actually left Dovetails). Strange how life takes you away. But since today was pretty much a wasted day for me, I'm going to finish what I started.
So at this point, it's official my former band has decided to end the journey of Dovetails and go on their own new path "Gentlemen on the Rocks". Which is a slight bittersweet moment. On one hand, it would have been nice to see the Dovetails banner flying high; and to be able to say "I helped start that". On the other hand, how much emotional strain would I have for that band if they did make it huge, and I would regret leaving in the first place? It's an interesting situation, which I sometimes question on my own favourite bands. Metallica, when Cliff died, should have they gone on? We all know the numbers, the answer is yes based on that. But is it really the Metallica that would have evolved if Cliff didn't die? Probably not. How is Cliff dying different from Bonham dying? Why did one band stop and the other keep going. Or maybe in similar scene, how is Moon dying different from Bonham dying? It's interesting to ponder these questions and really there is no one answer for any of these. It's up to the remaining members of the band to decide what they want to do. In the case of death it is up to the band members. In the case of band members wanting to leave and leaving... why should the parting have any say in a band they're going to quit? In the case of band members being pushed out? That's a much more complicated issue. However, if there are bands where people are being pushed out... *nudge nudge.... Van Halen.... then you have much bigger problems.
So, now that leaves me with ME. Why oh why did I leave? Well for one, which might be the obvious, I need to take a break from music. My last year of school... holy it was back in September?... jeez.... didn't realize it was so long ago. I for myself, need to focus and prove to myself that I can finish something that isn't music. Something that is worth something. So ya, that was one thing. Second thing, which is probably much more insightful is that I don't really have that much fun playing Dovetails' music any more. I mean, I will always love and remember playing Live to Live on stage. Damn, Eric really did a masterpiece with that one. But in terms of the back catelogue, I just don't feel the magic with it. Are they bad songs? In my opinion, not really. Are they great songs? No, not really either. They're just good, for me anyways.
At the core of Dovetails, it was always an experiment. The name speaks for itself. The amalgamation of seemingly completely unrelated things in perfect harmony and unison; that's what Dovetails means and stands for. Eric with the heavy blues influence. Cappello with the mainstream, almost pop-sensibilities of rock. And me, the progressive pusher. So you have some one in the band who takes cares of the soul, heart, and feeling of the songs; someone who takes care of the listen-ability and entertainment value of the songs; and someone who pushes the songs to somewhere that would never be taken otherwise. Was it a unique sound? No. But if you dug into the music, the arrangements, there my friend you will find we were no ordinary band. No, if you ask me to compare Dovetails to another band, even I would have a hard time making that connection.
Eric: over the years I've seen this guy grow and grow as a musician. Of course there is still much growing that he must do, however, what he has accomplished in personal growth is something to be applauded. I still remember that first time playing with him. There was that timid little spark in him, something that spoke to me. There's something to be said about a musician who get's thrown into a new situation that he has never been in before and be able to adapt and fight to belong. Cappello and I have a certain way of doing things.... it's called laziness. We go with the flow. When that happens, chaos is what ensues. The train keeps a rollin' and you better hold on for dear life because that train has no tracks and it goes where ever it pleases. This really was the first lesson, of what it means to be a musician, that Eric learned. I think that first song we stood on one chord for like 10 mins. I think it was either an E or an A. 10 mins is a long time to play one song, it's even longer when you are stuck on one chord. What I heard next... jeez... this is what a musician is. He might not have known what he was doing (truthfully, none of us do), but he was milking that chord like it was no one's business. This is the problem with music today, it's regressed into oblivion. I understand why punk music evolved the way it did, because it was minimalist art. But why do we accept it for all other genres of music? Why do we not have piano, forte, mezzo forte, fortissimo, pianissimo in recorded music? Is it because it's just that much harder for recording engineers to level it? Well fuck that. I want my dynamics. Why the hell do bands record with a metronome? Leave that at home, when you are practising. I'm sorry, did Mozart over say, play his piece at 88 bpm? NOOOOO!!!! He clearly wrote a range 76 - 92 bpm!!!!! Why do we use andante (76-108 bpm), largo (40-60 bpm), allegro (120-168 bpm), etc, etc, ETC!!!!! No music is about expression. So let it be about expression!!! If I'm going to record something with a metronome I might as well get a computer to play my instrument. ANYWAYS.... lol.... ya so Eric's first lesson, music is expression; and the hardest (but the most effective) way to learn that is, what can you express with one chord?
Cappello: one of my oldest friends and we started this band together. Fond memories of that first song we ever wrote. It didn't really go anywhere but I still know the riff. It's not every day that the rhythm section starts a band. Normally it's some singer or guitarist or pianist (some lead instrument) that decides to start a band with other people. But for some strange reason the rhythm section started this band (probably foreshadowing of the peculiar ways this band does things). I never really had to teach Cappello anything, he's a great musician and has been on the drums for much longer than I have been on bass and eric has been on guitar combined. What you might not know about him, is that he has an incredible ear. Which is like, "oh great, the one who doesn't need to worry about notes has a good ear" :P. Strangely enough, I was never interested in pursuing this question, but I have my suspicion that he might have perfect pitch or some strange drummer mutant form of it. That not in those movie-absurdity type of ways, but those aptitude to hone it in and really use it effectively. Actually, now thinking of it he probably doesn't have perfect pitch, however he does have strange drummer's ability to replicate anything up to his ability. I've always found that odd/intriguing. As always, he's my go to guy. If I ever need a drummer, he'll be number 1 on my list.
Daguanno: I feel like I should say a little something about Daguanno because people might wonder about the situation between the former bass player and the current one. As a fan of other bands, I certainly would be interested in such a question, of how Newstead feels about Rob. anyways. I will forever be grateful for all those times Daguanno filled in for me for those Dovetails shows. Honestly and truthfully, there is no jealously; trust me, if I said no way, Eric and Cappello would not have done those shows. I wanted Daguanno to play those shows, it allowed me 1) to be free of obligation and not have to give up parts of my life to do these specific shows. and 2) it gave me a perspective what Cappello and Eric were capable of without me. If anything him doing those shows for me was a sigh of relief. Now as him as the new bassist, I'm glad. I'm slightly worried that fall into the hole of trying to fill my shoes. If there's one word of advice, I would say to do your own thing. As I write this I'm listening to some of the re-recorded songs and new songs they posted. Not entirely happy... actually my face looks like troll face right now, however, in the end I'm happy he chose to do his own thing and be his own musician. It's definitely not what I would have laid down... and maybe that's the point.
So in summary, I hope those guys are doing what they love and are really enjoying it. Now that they don't have an evil dictator breathing down their necks, I'm sure they're having a lot more fun and doing things that they've always wanted to do but I would never allow it. I've got to admit as much as I like pushing boundaries of music, there's parts of me that are very restrictive and conservative. It's a strange oxymoron. Although, I don't agree without a lot of things they've done with their music, who am I to say any more? I'm no longer in that band, and what they do, they do for themselves, not me. I really do wish them luck with everything they do in the future. I parted ways with Dovetails a long time ago, and I've never looked back. No regrets, truthfully. As I keep going on my own journey, it will be interesting to see where the music will take me. And as I write this, I wonder what will happen in 2 months time. And for some strange reason I have a strange sense of insecurity of not being good enough to re-join the world of music. Only time will tell where I will end up. Hope I didn't forget anything in my closure of this chapter of my life. After this, the story ends on Dovetails and a new chapter beings. *insert inspirational quote* I like this one "No, no, there is no why. Nothing more will I teach you today. Clear your mind of questions."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)