Obscure American Musical Landmarks

The American music industry brings together artists from all over the country, so why do so many people only think of New York, L.A. and Nashville as the major music hubs? There are so many places where some of the best musicians in the business got their start. Here are a few of the most obscure music landmarks:

Every band had to get their start somewhere, right?

Dub’s Lounge, Gainesville, FL

Established in 1964, this hole-in-the-wall bar was no larger than a small house, but became notorious for its topless dancers and famous for performances by a young Tom Petty. When Petty played there, which he sometimes would as many as six nights a week, he played with then band, Mudcrutch. The Eagles were also known to frequent Dub’s Lounge.

10^th Ave and E Street sign Belmar, NJ

This location is the namesake for Bruce Springsteen’s iconic band. The E Street Band’s first rehearsal was in 1972, and they practiced in the garage of the home of keyboardist David Sancious’ mother. Although Springsteen became a household name throughout the band’s history, Sancious also went on to do great work with artists Sting and Peter Gabriel.

The Stooges’ First House, Ann Arbor, MI

The Stooges, which Rolling Stone calls “the most raucous of all rock bands,” got their start in the small Detroit suburb of Ann Arbor. Some say that the group came up with its name while watching “The Three Stooges” at a two-story house they rented. This house is the same place where the band developed its unique, energetic, proto-punk sound that made them famous after the debut of their first record. This landmark is a good example of the obscure locations some bands originated from; many still most associate The Stooges with Detroit instead of Ann Arbor.

Other obscure music landmarks include Chess Records in Chicago, Aerosmith’s first house in Boston, and the Canyon Country Store in Los Angeles where Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass, and Jim Morrison frequented. 

Are These Musicians Really the “New Immortals?”

Rolling Stone Magazine recently published its picks for “The New Music Immortals.” Basically, these musicians are the ones who have most impacted the music industry in recent years, deeming them “immortal,” according to Rolling Stone. The magazine has published similar lists in the past, highlighting the greatest artists of the last 50-100 years, but as music trends continue to change, newer faces are becoming more recognized.

“When we look around us today we see a whole galaxy of other stars who belong in the Immortals conversation,” explains Rolling Stone. To folks who favor the technical music talent and sound of legends past, this list of the new music immortals might be a point of great contention. Here are some highlights:

“If Taylor Swift stopped producing hits right now, at 23, she could tour a killer oldies show for the rest of her life,” says the magazine of the young star. Other pop stars that made the cut include Beyonce, Rhianna, and Lady Gaga, all who are known for their foray into multiple music genres and elaborate live performances. 

Kanye West, LCD Soundsystem, and the Roots all made the list or new music immortals. These three acts make up a diverse amount of indisputable talent, but some wonder if West’s music will withstand the test of time. Similarly, LCD Soundsystem accomplished a lot during their heyday, but has already disbanded, making them an unusual choice.

Rounding out the list with a little bit of rock and roll, punk, and grunge is Jack White, Pearl Jam, The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Wilco, and Green day. Jam band Phish also made the list, which comes as no surprise, what with the enduring music festival culture.

While some of these bands have long been regarded by fans as immortal, other newer acts might raise an eyebrow. Are people still going to be listening to pop songs from Taylor Swift or Rhianna in five, ten, or even fifty years? As music continues to change, we’ll have to decide which bands really will stand the test of time. What do you think of Rolling Stone’s picks for the “new music immortals?” 

Images: rollingstone via Instagram

‘Gender Amplified’ Amplifies Women in Music Production

It’s no secret that the music industry has a gender problem – a notable imbalance in the way that men and women exist within that facet of popular entertainment. Women are often thrust into the spotlight and objectified by male creative directors and producers who dominate the industry. And this is when women make it into the spotlight at all. Many don’t get that far because of their refusal to succumb to industry pressures that include playing up their sexuality in order to sell records.

Men don’t have to submit themselves to sexual objectification to sell records, and they certainly don’t have to work as hard to prove themselves behind the scenes. Males greatly outnumber females in music production, an even harder part of the industry to break into, and one that many women don’t even know exists due to lack of female visibility. Ebonie Smith realized this during her undergraduate college days when she fell in love with making and mixing beats. After immersing herself fully into the world of music, she couldn’t help but wonder, Where are all of the female music producers?

Smith created Gender Amplified in 2007 as a platform to support and help advance women in music production. After recognizing a serious gender gap within the industry, she wanted to start a movement that not only showcased incredible, underrepresented female producers, but to show aspiring producers that they could make a mark of their own. “By organizing public events that foster healthy dialogue about the role gender plays in the music making process, Gender Amplified gives voice to a subculture of women who are using music technology to create their own music and perpetuate their unique identities,” according to the organization’s mission statement. Gender Amplified has become a space of refuge and empowerment for women in the music industry, a movement to inspire the next generation of female producers.

During the last weekend of September, the Gender Amplified Music Festival took place at Smith’s alma mater, Barnard College. The event was a celebration of female music producers, and a chance to educate those who are interested in the field, or didn’t even know that it existed. Uniting, teaching, and empowering women will hopefully help bridge the gender gap in music production.

Image: Shutterstock

Light In the Attic Records Hits the Road

In a time when music is most commonly transmitted through headphones or computer speakers, it can be easy to forget that vinyl records still have a place in many a music lover’s heart. Sure, you can easily purchase or download new tracks without even having to leave the house, but there is something so special about having a tangible collection of records to play.

The feeling you get when leafing through hundreds of vinyls at a record shop is one of nostalgia and excitement; when you purchase a record from a store, there is a delightful feeling of newness to be found in something old. This feeling is one of the reasons that Light In The Attic Records continues to produce albums on vinyl in the digital age, something they’ve been doing since they first opened shop in 2002. Light In The Attic is an independent record label that is known for reissuing classic musicians on vinyl as well as representing contemporary bands.

To pay homage to a culture of record-collectors and musicians, Light In The Attic takes takes an annual road trip, making stops at independent music labels and record shops across the country. Light In The Attic founders Matt Sullivan and Josh Wright explain,

“Sixty years ago, crafty salesmen hocked fresh pressed vinyl 45s from the trunks of their dinged Buicks, building hit records one hard-won sale at a time. Today, there is little left of the intensely personal and colorful record business of yesterday, however it still does indeed exist…This October, we will hit the road for our annual pilgrimage: The Light In The Attic Road Trip. Embarking from the Northeastern U.S., we will set out on a journey across America to sling records and meet the people, while each day documenting the trip live — as it unfolds,” of their annual trip.

This year, Light In The Attic will visit 80 record stores and labels along the east coast in just 14 days, documenting the adventure with Pitchfork TV. Their mission is to bring visibility to the spirit and vision of independent record shops, proving that vinyl still has a firm place in the music industry.

For more information about Light In The Attic Road Trip, visit the label's official website.  

Image 1: Light In The Attic Records
Image 2: Kendra K via Flickr CC

The 16-Year-Old Singer-Songwriter You Need to Know

 

Ella Yelich-O’Connor is the teenage music sensation that everyone is talking about. The teen, who performs under the stage name Lorde, is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter from New Zealand who has gained immense popularity since the debut of her first single “Royals.” Unlike the throngs of young, mass-produced, formula-developed pop stars the American music industry continues to crank out, Lorde appears uncompromising in wanting to do things her own way.

Her willful spirit, beautiful sound, and unique point of view are what have catapulted the young musician into the spotlight. Her appeal is far-reaching; Lorde has garnered a massive fan base with her New Zealand audience, as well as in the U.S. and around the world. She managed to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Royals,” the same song that also topped Billboard’s Alternative Chart, where it’s been seventeen years since a female artist has climbed so high. Just to clarify, Lorde hasn’t even been alive for that many years. 

 

The singer-songwriter’s debut album, “Pure Heroine” is helping Lorde truly stand out as a unique talent in the industry. Pitchfork says, “In a moment when too many new artists seem afraid to offend or go off script, Lorde is an exciting contradiction: an aspiring pop star who's had a major-label development deal since age 12 (she was discovered at a local talent show) but has retained a seemingly genuine iconoclastic streak,” of the young singer. Pitchfork also describes Lorde as being “post-internet” in her style, and praises her for her ability to transcend the superficial social norms that the music and entertainment industries want to engulf their young stars in. 

 

With this, the singer, who dons a highly sophisticated vocal range that leaps from a soft, Feist-inspired sound to lower, ominous tones, is perhaps wise beyond her years. It seems as if Lorde is already somewhat guarded in terms of forming a relationship with the pop music industry, something that may prove to be the promising singer’s greatest asset. 

Image: lordemusic via Instagram 

YouTube Announces Its First-Ever Music Awards

 

Ever since YouTube launched in 2005, the world of music and video sharing has never been the same. Now, the influential and incredibly popular website has announced that its first-ever live-streaming music awards show will take place next month on November 3^rd.  

One of the best things about YouTube is that it is a platform that has allowed no-names in the world of music to become overnight stars. This is one of the things that makes the YouTube Music Awards different from other similar entertainment events: the nominees will be comprised of artists and songs that YouTube users have turned into hits over the last 12 months. What this means is that the YouTube Music Awards will be a much more interactive, fan and user-controlled event than other awards. Similarly, it gives home-grown musicians a chance to be recognized by an enormous web audience.

The Youtube Music Awards is as much a celebration of website users and music fans as it is the musicians themselves. The event is shaping up to be really fantastic, with scheduled performances from Eminem, Lady Gaga, and Arcade Fire, to name a few. Actor and musician Jason Schwartzman will host the live event, and music video pioneer Spike Jonze will act as creative director.

YouTube says that “in the days leading up to the November 3 event, nominees will share official music videos, covers, parodies, concerts, interviews, and fan videos on YouTube – so you can stay in the loop, find your faves and discover new music you didn’t eve know you loved!” The Music Awards will truly be an interactive, engaging event unlike any other. Stay tuned for more information about the show, and for the list of nominees to be announced later on this month!

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” Soundtrack is Seriously Awesome

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is one of the most anticipated sci-fi action and adventure movies of the season. In the sequel to the first film in the series, protagonist Katniss Everdeen and her comrade Peeta Mellark become targets after their victory in the 74^th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in their fictional dystopian world, describes IMDB. It doesn’t hit theaters until November 22^nd, but its soundtrack is already creating a buzz.

When Coldplay recently debuted their single “Atlas” for the film, fans of the series began to speculate what other kinds of bands would be on the soundtrack. Entertainment Weekly says, “Artists both indie and mainstream are now clamoring for spots attached to the new cool [young adult] franchise,” speculating that with a “way more badass” female lead, more people in the entertainment industry want to get involved. Katniss Everdeen is definitely a strong character, and with Academy Award-winning it-girl Jennifer Lawrence stepping into her shoes again, it’s no wonder that her peers would be drawn to the film.

Who can you expect to hear on the soundtrack? The seriously stacked lineup of musicians includes The National, Sia, Santigold, Patti Smith, and even Christina Aguilera, to name a few. The Catching Fire soundtrack will be available a few days before the movie hits theaters, so you’ll have to wait a little bit longer to hear more songs than just “Atlas.” 

Here’s the full list: 

01 Coldplay: "Atlas"

02 Of Monsters and Men: "Silhouettes"
03 Sia: "Elastic Heart" [ft. the Weeknd and Diplo]
04 The National: "Lean"
05 Christina Aguilera: "We Remain"
06 The Weeknd: "Devil May Cry"
07 Imagine Dragons: "Who We Are"
08 Lorde: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
09 The Lumineers: "Gale Song"
10 Ellie Goulding: "Mirror"
11 Patti Smith: "Capital Letter"
12 Santigold: "Shooting Arrows at the Sky"
13 Mikky Ekko: "Place for Us"
14 Phantogram: "Lights"
15 Antony and the Johnsons: "Angel on Fire"

What do you think about the film’s soundtrack?

Image: Matthew Allard via Flickr CC

TLC Gets Back Into the Groove with Greatest Hits Album and Upcoming Biopic

 

Fans of the iconic girl group TLC will be happy to know that Rozanda “Chili” Thomas and Tione “T-Boz” Watkins have a lot of exciting plans for next month. October marks the release of their new greatest-hits compilation record, as well as the airing of “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story,” a biopic set to premier on VH1.

TLC is a group that has experienced tremendous highs and lows throughout its existence. The original three members experienced great success after the release of their first few albums in the early to mid-1990s. Their incredible vocals and choreography helped the band excel in the music industry, and their repertoire spanned R&B, hip hop, soul, and funk, with just enough pop to transcend industry labels and appeal to a diverse and vast fan base.

Despite early success, the band experienced devastating tragedy when Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes died suddenly in a car accident in 2002. Lopes’ untimely death left fans and her band mates heartbroken, but TLC continued to make music over the next few years. The band was never the same without Lopes as its third member, but original songs like “No Scrubs” and “Waterfalls” are still beloved and indicative of the band’s influence during their prime.

Next month, TLC will release “20,” a fourteen-track album that showcases the group’s most popular songs. TLC has released a couple of greatest hits records in the past, but “20” is set to have more focus and to better highlight the group’s growth and strengths throughout their career. Thirteen of the album’s songs will be class TLC hits like “Red Light Special,” “Baby, Baby, Baby,” and “Creep,” but the last track will be brand new. “Meant To Be” was written by Ne-Yo, and will play a part in the band’s upcoming VH1 biopic, according to the Huffington Post. 

“20” is meant to illustrate TLC’s journey, and how the group has changed and grown over time. Ending the record with “Meant To Be” shows that the group has a bright future ahead, and that Chili and T-Boz will continue to create music as TLC. 

Image: sonymusicglobal via Instagram

What is “Post-Rock,” Anyway?

 

Stoner rock, folktronica, psychobilly, slowcore, anti-folk, post-classical screamcore death-pop. Okay, that last one I made up. But there are so many obscure contemporary music genres that sometimes it’s hard to keep them straight!

One genre that has been garnering more attention in recent years due to artists that have earned both mainstream credibility and an independent music fan base is “post-rock.” So, it’s not quite rock and roll, but it incorporates the same instruments? It’s the genre that spawned from rock? What is post-rock anyway?

According to All Music, “Post-rock was the dominant form of experimental rock during the ‘90s, a loose movement that drew from greatly varied influences and nearly always combined standard rock instrumentation with electronics.” From this genre, other subsets such as progressive rock and ambient music emerged, both which have excelled in the mainstream market over the last decade.

All Music also explains how, “post-rock was something of a reaction against rock, particularly the mainstream’s co-opting of alternative rock; much post-rock was united by a sense that rock & roll had lost its capacity for real rebellion.” The sound that comes from this departure from rock and roll music is heavily focused on pure sound, melodic hooks, and heavy instrumentation with minimal and sometimes no vocals. Some of the most prominent post-rock bands include Sigur Ros, Stereolab, and Grizzly Bear. Explosions In The Sky is another leader of the genre, one that Pitchfork considers “the last true exponent of turn-of-the-century post-rock -- they never wandered away from drifting instrumentals constructed around loud-soft dynamics and the contrast between soft guitar tones and pounding drums,” something that makes the band a leading example of post-rock.

Do you ever listen to post-rock music? What are your favorite post-rock bands?

Image: Rigmarole via Flickr CC

Fela Kuti’s Legacy Renewed in New Biopic

During his life, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, most known as Fela Kuti, or Fela, was a visionary within the music industry. A fascinating public figure, the musician and political activist has continued to captivate people even since his 1997 death. There have been biographies written about Fela Kuti, films made, and even a Broadway musical honoring his message and the legacy he left behind. Now, a new biopic about the iconic performer and human rights activist is in the works.

Fela Kuti was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, who is most known for his creation of the Afrobeat genre, something he gave name to and infused with political messages throughout his career. Afrobeat is a complex fusion of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional West African chants and beats – Fela’s version of the genre resulted in energetic, instrumentally complex songs with repeated, groovy riffs, strong percussion, and a focus on vocals. Fela’s songs were primarily sung in Nigerian pidgin English, and he rotated between playing the saxophone, keyboards, trumpet, electric guitar, and drums.

One of the reason’s that Fela Kuti has remained such a significant and fascinating figure is because of the weight that both his art, and his activism carried, especially when intersecting. His music was his best political weapon; it allowed him to successfully transmit messages to his audience about freedom, equality, and social justice. Fela was also famously nonconforming to music industry standards. Biographical author Carlos Moore explains, “Fela refused to bow to the music industry’s preference for 3-minute tracks, nor did he buckle under entreaties to moderate his overwhelmingly political lyrics. He went down in 1997 still railing against the consumerist gimmicks that taint pop music, with the aim, he felt, of promoting and imposing homogeneous aesthetic standards worldwide, thereby inducing passivity.”

With such a tenacious and passionate spirit, it’s no wonder that this incredible figure has garnered so much attention throughout, and even after his life. The newest Fela Kuti film will be a biopic based off of Michael Veal’s 2000 book, “Fela: The Life and Times of An African Musical Icon,” which Nigerian poet Chris Abani is helping to draft into a motion picture screenplay.

Stay posted for more news about the film’s production progress!

Image: Marta Medel via Flickr CC