Music and/or the Musician

A couple of posts down, I put up the new Blink 182 single “Up All Night”. Now it isn’t exactly surprising to hear mixed reactions from people whenever a musician or band puts up a new single, but getting to hear one of my favorite bands again after much time away got me thinking.

I’m no expert on music, nor am I in a lot of other things, but I would like to share my opinion on it and how I understand musicians.

Listening to the new Blink 182 song, it’s easy to tell how different it is from “Cheshire Cat” era Blink. I love the whole spectrum of change that the band has gone through over the years, and the different bands/side projects they had in between, like Box Car Racer, Transplants, +44, and Angels and Airwaves. The new Blink to me, is an amalgamation of all those things.

I guess it’s easy for any Blink “diehard” to feel a little put off by their more recent musical direction, as with many other musicians or bands. It’s a tale heard often enough. A “core community” supports an artist/band, said artist/band blows up, experiments, and changes, leaving the “core community” alienated or bummed out by the transformation.

Some people never want the music to change, but what about the musician? Sure, it’s easy to get bummed out whenever a musician or a band puts out something new that’s pretty different from their past body of work. But what most people forget is that musicians are people too. They can take in from experience, explore, and grow as much as those of us with less documented and publicized lives.

The Beatles' sound was pretty far out years after how they started, and when they did their own stuff too.

So I guess, when people say they never want the music to change, maybe what they really mean is that they don’t want the musician to change. I don’t think it’s fair for someone who calls himself a “true fan/diehard” to not account for the fact that the musician or band they support can mature, change, and grow too.

Same goes with The Eraserheads?

I might not be making a lot of sense, but what I guess I’m trying to say is musicians, like all other artists, are people. When you appreciate music, you appreciate something made by a musician, out of a certain context in a period of time. They’ll grow, just like we will over time, and that growth will show in their work in one way or another. Any fan can appreciate the music, but I guess a true fan appreciates the musician, that possibility of growth, and is game to keep following the journey.

The Queen of Reinvention

Where do I even begin?

Again, just my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

Blink 182 – “Up All Night”

Finally, after the long “hiatus” and new bands, Blink 182 have released their first single off their upcoming album.

I’m reserving judgment on the single. I’m just really really stoked that my favorite band is finally back together making music.The more recent stuff is certainly more dynamic both musically and lyrically reflective of how the band’s done some growing up as well. Although, songs about dicks and boobs will never get old.

I’m waiting for more singles, hell, I’m waiting for the album, and the chance of the big tour to support it, with a Philippine date if ever.

Enjoy!

Three Song Tuesdays, Volume III

Photo taken by me, during a trip to Guimaras

“Summer”

One of the best things about still being in school is still getting to experience the summer vacation. For the next couple of months, the most pressing issue isn’t beating a deadline, scheduling a group meeting, or the dealing with the logjam of work that piled up in procrastination. The problem becomes what to do with so much time on your hands.

Here’s three songs for summer and all its nice days on the beach, long road trips, or if you’re like me, days started by waking up late trying to figure out what to do next.

Enjoy!

1. Sugar Ray – “Someday”

This came out when I was in grade four. A song that I still enjoy listening to at present.

2. Natalie Imbruglia – “Wrong Impression”

Another one from a few years back. But again, another great song still enjoyed today. And I’m stating the obvious here, but Natalie Imbruglia is one beautiful woman.

3. Minus The Bear – “This Ain’t A Surfin’ Movie”

A snippet off an entire album’s worth of great summer tunes. Listen to this and “Pachuca Sunrise” (if you havn’t already).

Three Song Tuesdays, Volume II

I’m of the lot that tend to favor night drives. Heading  home after hanging out with friends, work, or skating gives me some time to think. Nothing too heavy, as I’m obviously concentrating on the road. But sometimes I can’t help but look back on what happened that day, especially after a memorable one. And I pretty much try to set myself up for next one and what could possibly be in store for me. Always looking forward with the occasional look back, just like a night drive.

Here’s three songs to provide a little bit of a soundtrack. Enjoy!

1. Drake – Lust For Life
Though “Thank Me Later” has its fair share of great songs, his “So Far Gone” mixtape remains to be his benchmark for me.  Regardless, I’m eagerly anticipating his next release.

2. Beth Rowley – You’ve Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger
An absolute gem of a movie, a great soundtrack too.

3. Revelry – Kings Of Leon
“I could always sing pretty, but I was embarrassed by my lyrics, so I’d sing like I had marbles in my mouth. This time, I went in saying, ‘if anything holds this record back, it’s not going to be my vocals’”. – Caleb Followill (SPIN, Oct 2008).

Word.

Three Song Tuesdays, Volume I

Three Song Tuesdays arose from a thought I had a couple of weeks ago of how the iPod has made it possible for each of us to score even the most mundane moments of our lives.

Following a certain theme (or not), I’ll select three songs regardless of genre to share on the blog which I’ll try to do every other Tuesday at least.

Since I’ve been on a longboarding roll lately in terms of blog content, I’ll keep with it and go with three songs that I think would be great to skate to. The opener serving as the soundtrack to a crazy hill bomb, one for sliding down some mild slopes, and the last song playing in the background of a chill cruise around the streets to cap a good day of skating.

1. Black Flag – Rise Above

2. Matt and Kim – Lessons Learned

3. Blue Scholars – Joe Metro

What’re your skate songs?

Under Cover Of Darkness

And just like that, The Strokes drop some new material on us all, lending a preview of what’s to come from their upcoming album “Angles”.

It’s been about a decade since their first album “Is this It” dropped. And I’ve been following their releases over the years (personal favorite: “Room On Fire”), and the occasional side projects of each members. And to this day, I still think I saw Albert Hammond Jr. walking near Times Square during the one time I went to New York.

As much as I love the band, and the new song is pretty great, I’m not gonna hype it up to high heaven by calling 2011 to be Year of The Strokes (again). But I will say that I’m definitely looking forward to more new material.

Enjoy!