Armchair Concertgoer

Thanks to my new hi-def television, I felt like I had (very comfortable) front row seat for some of the best performances of Glastonbury this year. It even had the capability of switching the program to different stages if the current performer was not to my liking. All that and no port-a-potty! I found myself thinking well if this is possible in 2008, when I’m in the old folks’ home technology will probably be so good that I’ll be able to virtually crowd surf when I’m 80 years old!

All kidding aside, the weather was beautiful and there were some really good performances. My favorites were Kings of Leon, The Kills, The Ting Tings, and The Enemy. Would Amy Winehouse show up to perform? Yes, she did. Once again though, I am just not very taken with her live performance.

I have to comment on the Jay-Z performance. There was a lot of controversy about him taking the headlining slot. I believe Noel Gallagher stated that hip hop had no place at a guitar based festival. I love that Jay-Z took it upon himself to perform an Oasis song during his set smiling the whole time. I was unexpectedly impressed with Jay-Z, since I only like a tiny bit of the music that the hip hop scene has to offer. I do find it interesting that a hip hop artist can come to England in 2008 and project an enormous picture of the U.S. President and state very clearly “Fuck Bush”. Only a few years ago an artist (Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks) with a more Republican fan base almost got burned at the stake for saying something a lot less blatant. --J

Amy's Triumph Before The Grammys

According to their website “The Nationwide Mercury Prize exists solely to champion UK music by promoting the 12 Albums of the Year by British or Irish Artists”. I wanted to post this clip of Amy’s performance this past August at the awards show. I’m hoping for the best for her. --J

Separating the Artist from their Music

Ugh, sounds like the Grammy broadcast might have been worth watching this year. Everything I have read says that Amy did a fine job at 4 a.m. from London, but maybe that’s the UK press playing favorites. I’m looking online for a clip of the performance so I can judge for myself. Looking at the list of winners, I had some thoughts, and a lot of them relate to my ability (or inability) to separate the artist from their work.

1. Amy Winehouse – If the focus was back on her music, then bravo. I am glad to see her record be honored this year. The UK press here has made it difficult to remember that it should be about the music.

2. Foo Fighters – In spite of being smitten with all things Dave Grohl, I’m not crazy about this album. There, I said it, trying desperately to separate the artist from the work. I do, however, think The Pretender is a great single.

3. Kanye West – The man has had an extremely difficult year, so I am going to go gently, but usually when I see him win or not win an award, all I can think about is what a sore loser he is. Is it just me or is it also difficult for us rock fans to tell how really talented a hip hop star is? I mean so much is production, isn’t it?

4. Alicia Keys – I dig the instrumentation on No One, but her voice on that song. The word “caterwaul” comes to mind. Since it seems like she is always photographed with the powerful Clive Davis, I always wonder if she would dominate the airwaves in true payola fashion even if people didn’t like her.

As Dennis Miller would say, “of course that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong”. --J

Oh Amy. Sweety. Why?

This makes me so upset for her. Despite the shape she's in, her voice is still so rich and sexy. I need for her to get it together! -K

Re-evaluating My Dismissal

I have bitched here (not loudly) about a few female pop stars like Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. I was about to start commenting on Kate Nash. She’s the Brit "IT" girl of the moment. I downloaded her song Foundations and while I don’t think she’s much of a singer, and the live performance looks boring, her lyrics are funny. The same goes for the other two ladies mentioned as well. And then I started wondering, why am I hating on these chicks when at least they do write music? Maybe I’m just trying to adopt the ways of my new country, or maybe that Britney debacle was a reminder of the definition of talent, I don’t know. –J

Musical Sidenotes

I haven't driven a car in a week since my move to the UK, so I haven't really listened to music. I did download the new FF single, The Pretender. They deliver a satisfying solid rock song but it is not exactly covering new ground. The Foos are playing all over the UK right now but nowhere close. It's as if Dave wants to hover close to me but not seem too obvious.

Amy Winehouse is the Lindsay Lohan of Britain. Every day there is a new article about her drug and alcohol problems.

Every night at midnight one of the stations airs a live performance of a popular band from one of the summer festivals. It's very cool.

I stepped into a small independent record store around the bend from my office. I got the High Fidelity stare. You know, are you worthy to buy something that I sell? I would have bought something if they had anything that I was interested in that I didn't already own.

I fear that I won't be catching any shows soon. While there are some coming that I would like to see, I'm on a remote train line into London right now and I'm not keen on riding the train late at night by myself. K, I miss you! --J

Our Women

When K and I were drinking through the awful Snowden set at the Kings of Leon show last month, at some point K laughed and said to me, “God we are misogynists, aren’t we?!” Yes, we can be hard on women in music but I think K’s recent post about Brandi Carlile and Amy Winehouse proves that we also can support our sex as well. I have been listening to the Amy Winehouse record and I don’t really like the big hit “Rehab”, but do love You Know I’m No Good, Back to Black, and Love is a Losing Game. I also have a few ladies on regular rotation. I had forgotten my iPod recently and had to listen to what I had in my office. A friend had given me Mary J Blige, The Breakthrough to listen to and I hadn’t because I was way burned out on her cover of One with U2 . A. was obsessed with that song last summer and I had had enough. Left with silence as my other option, I gave The Breakthrough a try and have been puzzled by it ever since. I love the first song on the record, No One Will Do. What I am puzzled by or maybe what intrigues me is the self-help/preachy nature of this record. Mary J has gotten her act together and goddamnit she is going to help all of her fans do the same. Is this Oprah or Mary J? I don’t’ know if this is different than her other records but I don’t think I’ve listened to another artist that writes in this style. I keep coming back even though I don’t need Mary J to help me out of a destructive relationship. I unexpectedly like the music.

The other CD that’s in heavy rotation is Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins’ Rabbit Fur Coat. Jenny Lewis is the frontwoman for Rilo Kiley. This record is really dreamy and quiet, which I love, especially the song Happy. It’s as if during the recording sessions, there was someone in the room next to them that they were trying hard not to disturb. I like the harmonies on it as well. The other interesting song on it is a cover of Handle with Care by the Traveling Wilburys. Joining her on this track are Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst. Could there be a more perfect person singing the words “handle me with care” than Conor Oberst? I like some of his stuff but he always sounds to me like he has the razorblade poised at his wrist. He is the voice of desperation.

There could probably not be two records more different than the two discussed here, but both interesting in their own right. --J

Brandi and Amy

Rarely do I see Vh1's You Oughtta Know segment and think "oh yeah- I'm SO downloading that song." Usually, the featured artists are so sickeningly mainstream like The Fray and Hinder. And, let's face it, Vh1 can run a song into the ground. For a while there Augustana's Boston was played so long that I would feel a rage bubble up inside of me every time I caught the segment. Lately, however, I've found two artists thanks to it: Brandi Carlile and Amy Winehouse.
Firstly, Englander Amy is the antithesis to everything that is acceptable in this country that I couldn't help but be fascinated by her. She drinks heavily, smokes heavily, and is covered with tattoos and presents herself with a no apologies attitude. I bought her album and really dig it. Highlights are Rehab, Me & Mr. Jones and Love Is a Losing Game. Mark Ronson, who has produced music for Robbie Williams, has produced several songs on the album. Mark is also the older brother of DJ Samantha Ronson, who lately has been connected to Lindsey Lohan.
Then there's Brandi Carlile, who is the complete opposite of Amy. She is a singer/songwriter from the NW part of the country and (gasp!) her music has been featured on Grey's Anatomy. That alone would usually be a reason for me to turn it off, but after listening to The Story, I can't help but say that it is worth downloading. She reminds me of Melissa Etheridge in many ways. When the song starts to rock out you will know exactly what I'm talking about.
So, my little bug has been sounding a little Sapphic lately, which is also a sign that there is something different going on in my head. Hell, as long as the music is good who cares? -K