Rock Snob

On Valentines day Fran got me the rock snobs dictionary. Am I a rock snob? Hmmm more of a music snob or a music connoisseur I guess. I think I might even prefer enthusiast, although that sort of makes me think of model railways. The book has really got me to thinking because as I read it, I realise there is so much I don't know. That's one of the great things about music, it's endless.
So I've started doing some research into the histroy of Rock'N'Roll trying to cover some of the stuff that I might have missed. As always the Toronto Public Library has been key.
Firstly I have been ordering all sorts of classic albums that I haven't heard before. Albums like Sticky Fingers by the Stones, Blind Willie Dixon, Bill Haley and the Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc.
So far my big discovery has been Patti Smith's album "Horses". This is one that always comes up on the top 100 lists but I was always a bit put off by the attachment to the punk scene as I never really managed to get into that. As it turns out it's an amazing album that pretty much set the foundations for tons of bands out now like The Strokes and The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. Sometimes people say that and then I listen to the album and I can't see the influence but there's no doubt here. It crackles with a really raw energy, the opening track Gloria, with it's G-L-O-R-I-A footballish chant is breathtaking. This is pure rock'n'roll.
I've also been listening to some stuff by The Clash. Another band that I was always put off by the "punk" tag. To me punk always meant headcases who couldn't really play their instruments but thrashed around tunelessly with the things before breaking them over their amps. I guess I was wrong. The Clash bristle with political overtones but suprising to me, have a very reggaeish feel at times. I knew that reggae really surfaced in the UK with the Ska of bands like the Specials and the English Beat but I never realised that it sort of bubbled over into a punk hybrid.
In addition to the albums I thought I might check out the Rock Snobs required reading. First up (and very in keeping with the bands I've been listening to) is Dee Dee Ramones book "Lobotomy - Surviving the Ramones". Again this is amazing stuff. It sort of makes the rock bands today look like a big bunch of girls. These guys were hardcore, doing pretty much any drug they could get their hands on and ending up with riots after every show. Their girlfriends where nutcase prostitutes and hangers-on that were pretty much as violent as anyone in the band. Much of it is almost sickening, especially the heroin stuff, which leaves you pitying them more than anything else, but in the end you can't help but be a bit awed by it. These guys distilled all the over the top indulgence of rock'n'roll together with some of the meanest, low down dirty aspects of society to create some kind of monster. (I use the phrase Some Kind of Monster as it's the title of the Metallica documentary and I think the Ramones would have kicked some serious Metallica ass).

New Music

So last weekend I signed up to www.emusic.com a subscription music site. I did it basically because they have an amazing 100 free tunes for signing up to a 30 day trial after which you can cancel at any point. I was thinking, sign up, get some tunes and cancel without paying a thing.
However now I'm thinking I might keep it up. It's only $10 a month for 40 tunes so I guess I'd be getting 3+ albums a month and also that warm fuzzy feeling that come with purchasing legal music.
I kind of like the idea of having a music subscription and although the site is limited in the labels it has on it, there is a lot of really cool stuff I have been after. Even if there wasn't new stuff each month I wanted there is plenty of back catalogue stuff to keep me going. 10 bucks ain't really that much, I think I can justify it.
To illustrate what a great selection of cool stuff they have, here is a sampling of what I downloaded on the weekend.
The Okkervil River "Black Sheep Boy" and "Black Sheep Boy - Appendix". Ok both these albums were on a lot of year end critic lists and I fell in love at first listen. It's intense, angsty, fragile, funny, beautiful.... Just an amazing couple of records, check them out.
Cat Power "The Greatest". The brand new Cat Power album and not a greatest hits as you might think. It's a sumptous album with her velvety voice crooning over a mixture of sparse guitar tracks and more orchestrated stuff. Another cracking album.
Josh Ritter "Golden Age of Radio" I love Josh Ritter and had been looking to get this for a while. He has a bit of a Dylan feel but with a softer more country edge. I've seen him live twice and both times he was awesome.
Mason Jennings "Mason Jennings" Another one I'd been after for a while. I had downloaded a mix of stuff but I wanted the whole album and an official version. Kind of similar to Josh Ritter but maybe a bit more upbeat.
Various "The Late Great Daniel Johnston" This is a tribute to Daniel Johnston who is a singer/songwriter who suffers from manic depression. He started out recording in his bedroom and handing out tapes on the street and his music continued to have a home made feel to it. His songs are simple and yet amazingly deep and heartfelt. He has some great uplifting moments in his music too which is suprising, for example "True love will find you in the end". This album has an fantastic mix of people on it including Beck, Tom Waits, The Flaming Lips, Teenage Fanclub, Clem Snide, and more. Hearing other people do his songs, often in a much more accomplished and full sounding way than his bedroom tapes really adds a different dimension to them. I can't recommend it enough.