Category Archives: music

music

Why bands & artists are starting to have a change of heart with Itunes…

Leave a comment

Possibly, the only reason that nobody’s buying CD’s anymore. I would think that’s the only reason. The Beatles had a change of heart with Itunes, and now Ac/Dc. There are more bands & artists out there that are holding out on Itunes most notably Kid Rock, Garth Brooks, Bob Seger, and the Ozzy Osbourne era of Black Sabbath. The digital age of music has taken over the industry big time. While it’s cool that digital music has taken over, I just wish the sound quality of downloaded music could be better. Itunes is an okay service, I bought a lot of stuff from them. I don’t mind ’cause I’m a music lover and listening to music is one of my favorite things to do. I like supporting other artists more than my own music.

I can see more and more artists having a change of heart with Itunes ’cause the digital age seems to be the only way for artists to get recognized. Record stores are no longer the same anymore. You never see record stores selling classic albums of bands anymore, they are all about new releases and re-issues these days. The compact disc is pretty much dead. I still like to buy CD’s, however, ’cause I like to have an actual cover and all, with booklet and everything. Album art work is cool but you don’t get that with the Ipod.

So this is why if I ever made my first album, I wouldn’t press it on CD ’cause 1) I can’t afford it 2) Nobody’s buying CD’s anyways. So if I ever made my first real studio album, I’ll figure out a way to get it on Itunes. I don’t know how to get music on Itunes yet, but I’ll look into it.

I miss the old days of buying albums in record stores when it used to be cool. You could buy all the classic albums on CD and find everything you needed back then, but everything has changed, thanks to the digital age of Mp3 and Ipods. The only way you’ll be able to get classic albums that you can’t find at stores is go to Used record shops, that’s your best bet. Sad, but that’s the way it is today.

Kev

music, TV

The media will always shove Justin Bieber in our faces as long as he’s alive… or even dead…

2 Comments

I know how much everyone is getting sick of Justin Bieber in the media and seeing him everywhere, I am too, but the media will always hype Justin Bieber until he’s dead. Or worse, they’ll keep hyping him after his death just like they constantly do with Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson. Justin Bieber is never going away no matter what happens. I used to have no problem with Bieber, but like everyone else, the media hype over him is starting to drive me crazy too. Justin will keep doing the music thing until the day he dies. Of course, as he gets older, I’m sure he will switch genres ’cause I can’t see him doing pop music when he’s 50.

I didn’t watch the AMA’s last night. I got better things to watch on Sundays like “Dexter” and “Walking Dead”. I’m all fed up with music award shows. They are garbage, all of them. Like most people, I hate how today’s industry is. It’s hard to find good music lately. Pop music is still taking over the mainstream, and it’s sad really. I don’t like it. Although, I’ll admit that I am a fan of Lady Gaga, Adelle and Katy Perry, that’s about it but most pop music today is garbage.

The only good mainstream and commercial band who plays real instruments are, Mumford & Sons. They are very talented and phenomenal songwriters. I love their album, “Babel”. That’s probably the best thing going in today’s industry.

Today’s industry continues to get worse and worse as you can see. I hate it myself. I don’t post about Bieber here anymore for a reason ’cause it’s just giving him more attention, I just had to rant about it just once. Bieber isn’t going away anytime soon folks. We’ll have to put up with him, whether we like it or not. He’s just like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan. Everything he does, it have to be huge news. Pathetic. I’m sure you guys will finally agree with me on a post for once. So enjoy.

Kev

music

Report: Ac/Dc finally has change of heart with Apple, you can now buy the band’s entire discography in the Itunes Store!!!

Leave a comment

Ac/Dc, the legendary Australian rockers, have always avoided Apple and Itunes, but it seems the band recently had a change of heart. Out of no where, the band announced that today that they released their entire discography on, Itunes. That includes the balds 16 studio albums (both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras), live albums, and compilations.

Read the band’s announcement, here.

I wonder what made the band, finally change their mind? They probably came to a realization that nobody’s buying CD’s anymore and the band’s CD sales are dropping. It’s understandable why they are so late getting on Itunes ’cause they are old geezers who don’t understand today’s technology yet. I think the main reason is they are releasing “Live at River Plate” on CD this week, and they want the album to sell big. It’s their way of promoting the new live album in a big way.

I love Ac/Dc. Always have! I’m glad they’re on Itunes and would get more of their albums that I don’t have yet. Record stores don’t sell their classic albums anymore. I only have a few Ac/Dc albums and would love to get more of their stuff. Especially more of the Bon Scott era.

Kev

music

Jon Bon Jovi’s daughter thoughts…

6 Comments

I’m not much of a fan of Bon Jovi’s music (can’t stand him, really) but I thought I would reply to this. I’m sure many people are blaming Jon Bon for, Stephanie Bongiovi’s, possible heroin addiction. I wouldn’t blame Jon for this. I don’t think Jon ever did any illegal drugs in his years. I’m sure people thought he did drugs in his earlier days of his career during the 80’s, when the hair metal thing was big, but I’m pretty sure, Jon lived a pretty clean lifestyle. I don’t think he’s much of a drinker either. Correct me if I’m wrong on whether or not Jon Bon did any alcohol or drugs over the years. I don’t think there has been any reports or evidence that he was. It sounds like his daughter, Stephanie, is just a hard partier and hangs out with the wrong crowd. I won’t blame Jon Bon for this. I think it might be Stephanie, partying with a bunch of college kids who thought it was cool to party with someone who has a rock star, Dad.

This is a pretty sad story, though. I’m sure Jon is worried as hell about her, and he might have to take a break from his career in care for her. I wish both of them well.

Kev

Books, music

Why rock legends are writing their own books… just my take on it…

Leave a comment

There’s a few reasons why I think rock stars are writing their own autobiographies these days. Some would blame it on the money or for being an ego driven attention whore, but not really. I think these guys write their own books ’cause…

  1. It’s pretty much at the end of their career or life – It’s a sign that they might retire from the music biz. So they feel that the public needs to hear their story before they go out.
  2. They think fans should know them a little better – Rock stars seem to be keeping their personal lives and behind the scenes of their career out of things, and writing books is an opportunity for them to be more open and honest. It’s an opportunity for fans to get to know them on a personal level.
  3. The rock music scene in the industry is just about dead – The mainstream of commercial music is all pop and rap/hip hop garbage. Country is pretty huge too. Rock stars release books, hoping to get recognized again. Rock books sells a lot more than people buying rock albums. Something to think about there.
  4. They want to be understood better by the public – Mostly the rock stars who write their own memoirs are misunderstood by everyone with all the misinformation about them. A lot of these guys are a target in the media. All the gossip, and bad things that happen in their personal lives and careers. They also can be a target in the tabloids and all that bullshit. This is their way of defending themselves.

I think that pretty much covers it.

As for who I want to write a rock memoir someday, I’m pretty sure David Bowie is writing one ’cause his wife said in an interview, he’s doing some writing during his time off from music. I hope this is what he is writing, his own memoir. Would be cool. I want Jimmy Page to do one. I also want James Hetfield of Metallica to do one ’cause his story would be interesting. I’m sure James will write one whenever Metallica decides to hang it up someday. Maybe Tom Petty as well?

I like reading rock memoirs. They’re interesting stuff.

Kev

music

Report: John Fogerty, to join the long list of rock stars writing their own memoirs…

Leave a comment

Too many rocks stars have been writing their own memoirs lately. Everyone from Keith Richards to Ozzy to Sammy Hagar to Eric Clapton to Pete Townshend to Rod Stewat to Greg Allman to Steven Tyler to Neil Young, etc. The list is endless. Well, John Fogerty, the former frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival, is set to release his own rock memoir.  Like all the other rock memoirs, I’m sure his book will focus on his personal life and musical life. I’m sure he will talk about CCR and his solo career. Of course, all of his legal battles that he had with Fantasy Records over the ownership of CCR songs and his self plagiarism lawsuit over the song, “The Old Man Down The Road”, which claimed to be a ripoff of one of his own songs. More importantly, I’m most interested in his music career. This guy had an interesting career. I love both CCR and his solo stuff. Fogerty is a killer songwriter.

He used to be big and commercial back in the 70’s-80’s, but nobody knows who he is anymore considering that Pop music is taking over the mainstream. This is one famous musician, I’ve always respected. Fogerty is awesome and I saw him in concert once, during the “Premonition” tour, I think.

Why are so many rock stars writing memoirs, these days? Why is this a trend? I think I know the answer and maybe I’ll talk about that in a different post later.

Read the full story, here.

Kev

music

Happy 67th Birthday, Mr. Neil Young…

Leave a comment

Neil Young celebrates his 67th birthday today. 2012 is quite a year for Neil. He has released three different projects in one year. I don’t know how he does it at this age, but the man keeps himself busy. Neil has released two different albums with Crazy Horse this year, “Americana”, and “Psychedelic Pill”. He also released his memoir, “Waging Heavy Peace”. Neil is always working. The man just doesn’t stop. Which is part of why he gets my respect.

I love Neil. He’s a huge inspiration and a hero to me. Thanks Neil, and thanks for what you do. Here are several of my favorite Neil Young songs in the videos below. Seriously, I’m a huge fan of Neil. He’s a phenomenal singer and guitarist. He’s a good guy and honest. He treats his career in a positive note. Too many reasons why he gets my respect. I’ll always stay loyal to Neil. I just hope to get my chance to see him in concert or even better, meet the man in person.

Enjoy.

Kev

Celebrity news, movies, music

When stars gets criticized for their weight… Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lawrence, Christina Aguilera and the list goes on…

2 Comments

I find it total bullshit that these women are getting picked on because of their weight issues in the media. Some of you know that pop stars like Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera are being picked on for their weight. Actress Jennifer Lawrence, is now a target for her weight gain. Why? Who cares if these women get fat? There are tons of other stars that are much fatter than them. Lady Gaga once said, “Adele is much fatter, how come people don’t pick on her?” I agree.

How come Rosie O’ Donnell or Queen Latifah don’t get criticized for being a fat pig? What about Roseanne Barr?

Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lawrence and Christina Aguilera gets picked on the most, why? It’s because of their celebrity status. They’re big icons and they’re everywhere.

People don’t pick on Adele because everyone thinks she’s beautiful. What gives people the right to criticize how these women look? Those three women I listed in the titles, don’t look fat at all. How come nobody picks on Madonna when she’s stripping on stage at her concerts, and she exposes her flabby and wrinkly skin? Blech.

The media, I tell ya. People should believe in these women for the entertainment they give us, but with the way pop culture is today, the media and the press will do anything to make these women look bad, just to make money off of them. It is not a good time to be rich and famous. Fame can easily ruin you, if you’re not careful.

Kev

movies, music

About Star Wars 7,8,9 classical scoring, will John Williams return???

15 Comments

John Williams, the longtime Star Wars composer, did the music for all 6 Star Wars movies. The question, will he return for the next trilogy? I can see John returning for Star Wars 7, most definitely, but if he can stay alive when 8 and 9 comes around, that maybe kind of tough ’cause he might be dead by then. The guy is about 80 years old now. I’m not saying he’s gonna die, but what if he doesn’t make it when 8 and 9 comes around, ya know? That’s what I’m saying.

Even if they plan on not using John Williams and replacing a new composer, they still need to use the original opening “Star Wars” theme for the opening crawl in the beginning. That can’t be replaced.

Some people can and can’t see John Williams coming back. It’s a mixed feeling on him too. He has always been important for the Star Wars legacy. So yeah, I can see a definite %100 chance of John Williams returning. I can’t see him turning it down. Hopefully, he’ll live long enough to compose the next trilogy. It’s amazing that he’s still composing movies at this age, though. I’m pretty sure Disney will offer him a huge deal that he can’t refuse.

Kev

music

When iconic bands move forward from their original sound…

1 Comment

Soundgarden, is streaming their new album, “King Animal”, in it’s entirety on Itunes today, and I gave it a listen. I’ll give my thoughts on the album later on in this post, but first, there’s a topic I need to get off my chest. Whenever an iconic metal or rock band puts out a new album, everyone expects them to go back to their original sound that made them for who they were. For example, everyone wants Metallica to go back to speed metal. Everyone wants Pearl Jam to make another amazing album like, “Ten” again. Everyone wants the Smashing Pumpkins to sound like, “Siamese Dream” again. Everyone wants U2 to go back to their “Joshua Tree/Unforgettable Fire” days. When those bands release new albums, everyone’s disappointed ’cause they don’t have their old school style anymore.

The thing that people don’t understand about bands, is that none of them like to look back at their songwriting. It’s about moving forward and creating new art. Playing from the heart and playing with feeling. I’m sure these guys want to go back to their old sound, but with songwriting, they can’t help it, ya know? They just play whatever comes out of them. Play whatever is in their heads.

Back to Soundgarden, I don’t think they’ll make a “Badmotorfinger” sounding album ever again. While that is an incredible album, the band quickly changed sounds and styles after that. Bands want to sound different every album they do. That’s the way songwriting works. Bands and songwriters can’t take ideas from other people. It’s not about making the music of how other people want it to be. It’s about making the music that pleases the band.

“King Animal” is getting mixed reviews. After a long awaited Soundgarden return, everyone was getting excited. Expecting the new Soundgarden record to sound old school, and of course, it wasn’t going to be. I think the new Soundgarden album, “King Animal” is pretty damn good. Definitely unique and different. There are some pretty odd time signatures and different song structures. Soundgarden are maturing as songwriters. The vocal harmonies and Chris’s singing is just mind blowing. There are plenty of great guitar riffs on it. It’s not the best Soundgarden record, but it is definitely better than, “Down On the Upside”.

People really need to get over a band’s past, already. Just appreciate ’em, and stop being negative pricks over music, all the time. People don’t understand that bands love to experiment with different sounds. That’s what Neil Young have always done. Neil keeps changing all the time, and you don’t see people complaining to Neil about going back to his old school sound. Neil got away with it.

Musicians just write what they want. End of story.

Kev