Yeah so, eff you, I slacked on the DJs. They're still coming, but I can't force music talk. It just kinda happens sometimes in a really great way. And some people inspire it in my more than others.
I love feeling like I swooped in on someone right before they "blew up" or "got big." I have a few bands I could insert here for that one. Everyone has one of those "oh my god, I was listening to XYZ band before they got huge and started playing to arenas..." it's kind of a mixed feeling of pride and disappointment. They're not all YOURS anymore. In that sense, I'm loathe to show you my discovery... But it's out of love, that's all! Not that I dislike you...
My new favorite track:
"Doncromatic" Gorillaz featuring Daley
So from what I can gather, this basic NOBODY from the UK is just a super talented fucker who deserved someone like the Gorillaz to feature him on their track. He only has a couple little videos on youtube and his wiki is only like a paragraph, I mean that's just so empty and sad! He's not even put out an album yet, and he's being featured on gorillaz tracks. Lucky (deserving) bastard! *shakes fist* Anyways, he sings beautifully, but if it weren't for the Gorillaz I would have probably never heard him. His music isn't really my style, but he does have a beautiful sound. Super voice. (...also wouldn't have laid eyes on him!! What a cutie!! Of course, one can see why I would like him, he's maybe a little bit my type...
(Myself & Anthony just about one year ago, New Year's Eve 2009. eee! we're so cute.)
Anyways, the Gorillaz rarely ever disappoint me, and this is another GEM of a song. They're adding it to Plastic Beach as a bonus track on new pressings of the album, is what I believe I read. Whatever, who checks sources? Just go listen to it, it's magical.
...More DJ's and EDM are coming, btw. I just have to get through the holiday... and one a day is just SO not happening right now. haha. Merry Xmas or whatever it is you do if I don't post before then!
A lot of DJ'ing is sampling. If you have a bitchin' sample in your song, you're more than likely going to garner a few fans.
I thought it would be wise to kick off the Week of DJs with someone who has a sound that everyone can appreciate - a man who creates new songs from several existing songs. With no added beats or help. Everything you hear was not created by the artist... except the new version of the old songs that you love that will now BLOW YOUR MIND. Since sampling is so integral to DJ'ing, and everyone can appreciate a top 40 song or two - why not start with Girl Talk?
The Master of Samples is Greg Gillis, aka Girl Talk. I don't give a fuck WHO you think is the best dude on the planet at remixing songs, I'm pretty sure Greg Gillis kicks their asses with room to spare.
If you've never heard his work, you're probably going to be motherfucking delighted to discover it. I don't know anyone who doesn't like Girl Talk.
Girl Talk has been clever since the birth of his musical career. His songs are not original... technically. He creates new songs from existing songs. (Like I said, Master of Samples.) He doesn't have his own "original" beat anywhere in a song. He simply chooses a particular vocal track (typically rap or pop vocals) and puts it over something you would never think to pair it with... Ludacris raps over New Order in one track on All Day, and I don't think you realize how great it is until you hear it. For the last part of this song, which is my personal favorite on the track, White Zombie lays that well-known, powerful & tough groove with Thunderkiss '65 - jesus that was released in 1992?! - The Ying Yang Twins Wild Out over it, and Ludacris wraps it up with Everybody Drunk.*
"On & On" is one of my favorites off of the latest Girl Talk album.
I was loathe to even give you a sample, but without music this wouldn't be much of a music blog... so, I chose a song I think stands on it's own very well and is accessible to almost anyone from the opening.
But even Gillis himself will tell you that the albums are meant to be heard as one continuous track. One GIANT song. It's only broken down into separate numbered tracks for the little people to be able to remember where their favorite part begins.
How does Gillis "get away" with producing tracks that are essentially completely illegal, according to current copyright laws?
Well, he doesn't sell his albums, for one thing. If you go to his website, you'll notice that his album All Day is available for a free download. Yes, he just places it somewhere online and lets people go nuts. I heard rumblings the day it was released, just before Thanksgiving. An exclamation of "the new Girl Talk album is out!" from my friend Hung Le completely verified it. I downloaded it posthaste. You don't actually pay for it, so he's not technically profiting from the "illegal" samples. For his previous album, he accepted donations if you felt like giving him a buck or two, but that was also free. There's this thing called "fair use," which if you're at all familiar with copyright laws (which are stupid strict in my opinon), means you can use something under certain conditions.
I was recently directed to a VERY LARGE jpeg file of a breakdown of Girl Talk's newest album, All Day. GOD BLESS the person who made this chart - I have many sites referencing the substantial amounts of samples Gillis uses bookmarked for my own reference, but this is by far the most appealing and easily understood method in showing someone how his songs are laid out. Big ups to this person, I have no idea who you are.
If you're not already impressed with his music and super-clever ingenuity on the copyright laws, which is his life's mission to battle, prepare to truly be impressed by the man himself.
I'm pretty sure that the fact he gets away with anything is because he's a super smart son of a bitch, too. He went to college for biomedical engineering, specifically, tissue engineering as his specialty. He worked in the field for a couple years before deciding to quit and concentrate solely on music, around 2007. He isn't making money off his albums... so most people wonder why he would do it. Personally, I like to think he has the same idea that I do. Something that makes you feel this happy shouldn't be only for the privileged, aka, people with a solid paycheck. Even if I never had the money to go see him perform live, which is where he does in fact make his money, I would still have access to his awesomeness and information along with it.
Let's read the disclaimer on his website, shall we?
"All Day by Girl Talk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license. The CC license does not interfere with the rights you have under the fair use doctrine, which gives you permission to make certain uses of the work even for commercial purposes. Also, the CC license does not grant rights to non-transformative use of the source material Girl Talk used to make the album."
Do you realize that Greg Gillis has found the perfect loophole for fighting copyright laws? He applies his intelligence and it shows in his mixes. He's not using entire tracks, he's not using the entire track length, and he's making sure you realize it's not the original song at any point during an album. He knows how to make his money and get around the laws that would bring a person of normal or below intelligence to their knees, and give the masses music that makes you feel good, as well as fight the fuckin Man. Which brings me right back to the music.
He is technically what's called a "mash up" DJ, or a remixer, if you're nice about it. I will never in my entire LIFE use the term "mash up DJ" to describe Girl Talk. God of Sampled Remixes? Sure. Mash up dude? No. Please don't insult MY intelligence, or his, by saying it and trying to compare him to every other yokel who posts a Youtube video with their "Kelly Clarkson vs. Metallica" mash up or something. (Please note that this is simply a hypothetical example that I completely made up - I know of no such mash up, hah.)
Feed the Animals album cover. Released in 2008.
(Worth noting - to me, saying Artist A VERSUS Artist B in any "mash up" situation will forever piss me the fuck off. When I hear a mash-up, I don't see the artists or songs as battling or facing one another in a competitive way; instead I see two songs that flow together and are essentially complimeting one another! It's not a "facing off" feeling to me, it's more of a melding of wonder.)
I dare you to listen to one album, and tell me you DON'T enjoy it at least in one part or another. The endings to Girl Talk albums make you feel like you're being hugged. Greg Gillis lifts you up, makes you wanna shake your booty for hours, and then brings you back to a warm place to leave you basking in the Bambi-legs-after-sex-feeling that he fucks into your heart.
If you're already a fan of Girl Talk, and you've never seen him live, GO. I don't care if the ticket costs you $80 scalped, just go. And get there early. See all the openers, but get there before then too. I don't know if it's consistent everywhere, but when my friend and I went to see Girl Talk at Sonar in Baltimore, MD, people were tailgating in the parking lot. I laughed! It was like a football event except with super cool people all dressed to the nines and dancing with their trunks open while they played his album. Soda bottles in their hands? Come on people, you're not fooling anyone with that vodka in the Sprite bottle. But you're all awfully cute for dancing in the street. It was a really super vibe the whole night. Which is probably why I wanted to fight the stupid bitch who kept bumping into me when she shoved very unnecessarily through the crowd, she was really harshing my vibe, shoving me like that, seeing as how it wasn't thick at all in the spot where we were dancing... but I digress once again. She lived, we'll just say that much.
Seeing him perform live isn't exactly any different musically, he doesn't do anything too different than he does from his albums, except maybe he might throw in some NEWER top 40 samples at a show. Instead you're going for the community dance party experience - everyone just wants to GROOVE. Either way, once you hear an album, you'll completely understand why it's a blast live. He also invites people up on stage to dance around him and get amped up, because all he really does is use a laptop on stage! It's probably the most minimalist dance party I'd ever been to, and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
It's really easy for me to appreciate what Girl Talk does for the dance scene, and the music scene in general. He's creating another type of song, another type of music, altogether. His label, Illegal Art, carries along with it the best descriptor of his music, in my opinion. He's making it all with samples from top 40 songs that are popular today, which for the most part, I consider to be about 85% shit. He's the ultimate alchemist, in a figurative sense - Greg Gillis is making gold from almost total crap. Pairing these elements together, we have something we can cherish and listen to countless times. Countless. Yes. I think of all the complete albums I have of his, hundreds of times listened might be an understatement.
I listened to the new album All Day 7 times withiin about 24 hours. Didn't I get sick of it, you ask? Hell no. I like to completely digest things... chew them up a lot... and somehow, it never loses it's flavor. Not ever. Gregg Gillis never bores me. When you use an SWV track that I used to listen to when I was 14 years old, and then turn around and hit me with Nirvana...
...well, basically, "you nostalgia you lose."
It's completely unnecessary for me to break down his albums one by one - they speak for themselves., and the concept never changes, even if his earlier efforts are far more glitchy and spazzy in nature compared to today's more refined, smoothed-over sound. He never loses his edge, and the idea & concept stands solid - new tracks from existing tracks that make everyone's booty inexplicably need to start bouncing about.
Night Ripper was released in 2006, and was the beginning of Illegal Art's (the label's) rise to success - basically, this was by far their most accessible and easily listenable album put out yet. Girl Talk became their poster child after this.
If Girl Talk can create an environment and sound where I can be exposed to music I might normally scoff at in a format that i appreciate and enjoy in a way I don't appreciate any other kind of music... I want to support him and show my full appreciation by spreading the word and paying to go to his shows every time I have a chance. The structure he uses is completely accessible to the musically inept, who can't discern Justin Bieber from Mastadon... as well as appreciated by the musically inclined ear, and musicians themselves.
Besides, who doesn't wanna hear how Lil Mama's infmous "my lip gloss be poppin'" line sounds when paired with Metallica's "One" guitar riff?
You're curious, admit it. It's FREE! Don't be lazy - go get All Day.
And thank Greg Gillis for being god damn fucking awesome & original, and pioneering a sound none of us can rival as of right now.
I feel almost proud, I've been with him since 2006. This is huge. Girl Talk is the perfect start to my DJ week.
Just for fun, please note that the label Illegal Art posts "Challenges" on their site and encourages people to submit their music, awarding winners awesome prizes... it's so much fun and worth checking out.
Delicious Bonus Aural NOMS:
The Hood Internet
If you enjoy the likes of Girl Talk and need to know JUST WHERE TO GET MORE MUSIC LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW, I have something else special for you.
I really loveThe Hood Internet. Once again, everything they create is available for Free Download!! *squee* My personal favorite mixes by them are ALL "The Mixtape Volumes." There's 4 of them, to be specific about it. Their other smaller collaborative remixes are all fun and everything, but I really love the full album length creations of theirs.
I won't hold your hand, you're from the damn Internet. Go search for them on the left sidebar on their site, they're all posetd there mixed in chronologically. All are simply titled, "Mixtape Vol. *insert # here*" and if you're not sure which one to grab, (if not all of them!) at least download the The Mixtape Vol. 4. It's my favorite one, if I had to choose one with a gun-to-my-head-type-of-situation. They're fantastic!! A slight bit different than Girl Talk, but if everything and everyone was the same, life wouldn't be very interesting, would it? I love them.
I'm thinking I will gift you all with DJs every day for a week. Happy Holidays.
One of my greatest passions over the past five years has been EDM (Electronic Dance Music, for the nubs). Many, many artists fall into this category, therefore, I like (and love) a gigantic range of DJs. This week I'm gonna fill your ears with anything from big beat, to drum n bass at it's finest, to trance, to mainstream. And even stuff you know, but you may not know you know it. (But don't worry, we'll get there.)
It's hard to define how exactly EDM wormed it's way into my life to stay. I'm trying to pinpoint where it became love and not just something pretty nifty, or a vague hobby... when did it begin to take up a considerable amount of space in my heart and on my hard drive? I know where my interest was piqued, and I can remember the very first trance song I ever heard. Complete like a flashbulb memory, which now if you will give me a few moments of your time, I'll take you on this musical discovery journey with me.
When I was 23 years old and freshly separated (on the way to divorce), my first roommate that I had ever had was a wonderful little chick named Deena.* She was my very good high school friend, and after bumping into her at my 5 year high school reunion and inviting her to live with me, she was on a mission to get me socialized; out of an oppressive marriage, I wasn't exposed to a lot of music or culture that anyone my age probably should have been at some point of another. One night we were driving alone the highway, and she starts talking to me about all the raves she'd gone to, all the things she'd done, and how the music blew her mind on several occasions. She named DJs, clubs, & events I had never heard of before... and now they're all like home to me, in my mind. Nostalgia. Ahhh.
We're cruising along late at night, on our way home from somewhere. (I remember we were coming home because the song ended about when we pulled up to the house.) We're in her tiny silver Ford Echo, and I'm co pilot which means I'm also the car DJ. I am looking through her vast CD mixes, mostly home made burned stuff, and I think this all started because I said "Who is DJ Icey?"
She chooses a song off the CD that to this day I can still listen to with complete love & happiness. I don't care how corny the song sounds... it left a lasting impression and was possibly the first stepping stone on the electronic path.
I'm greeted immediately with bass I love hearing and piercing electronic squeals of some sort. I'm not upset about it. DJ Icey takes a permanent place in my burned CDs and mp3s from then until this day. I think I should probably tell Deena what an impression she left on me with that... I don't think she knows.
But, moving right along, we solidify.
I liked it, but I didn't yet love it. An entire genre can't be defined with just one song. I think my appreciation for this song is only rooted a couple years later, when my friend Matthew* (along with his new girlfriend Bettie*) start really delving deep into the whole rave community thing. Matthew surprised me by suddenly being so into it... but it was wonderful to get this new outside influence; he's sending me tracks like this:
I then decided it was AURAL CRACK COCAINE because I listened to it at least a few times a day for a solid fucking month. I am still never sick of it. I listened to it just now.
I feel like there's a gap in this period of time... a stale or static area where I didn't move forward with any of my interest in EDM. Once I hit "the Chemical Brothers era" in my EDM timeline, it was all headfirst into whatever i could find. I had my friend Bettie telling me all the solid House tracks, and introducing me to the Sneaker Pimps as "after party" music, with the stand-out tracks from that fateful night being Walk The Rain and Johnny. (hello, soothing downbeat trip hop.) Not only did I kinda get a small girl-crush on the beautiful Bettie that night, but i also had another new crush: Dance music.
It's hard to describe how EDM of any kind makes you feel to someone who hasn't ever done any substances that would enhance said experience. Now, that's not to say you can't enjoy electronic music without the aid of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, but in all honestly, who are we kidding? The music is engineered to trip your mind out when you're on it. Builds, climaxes, turns, and beats are manufactured and slaved over in a precise manner, in order to give their listener a sensation - a physical feeling! - when they hear it. Think about that. You'll feel this song, in some form or another. How you experience it is up to your own chemistry though, I make no broad claims as to what anything does to other people, only to myself.
There's a vague possibility this could be boring, so I'm going to wrap up the trip down Memory Lane with final thoughts on my Introduction to EDM Week.
Here's a few things to note and keep in mind if you're going to come along this week.
This is a genre in which you're not limited to one sound. Within "electronic music," we have trance, downtempo, techno, breaks, drum & bass, jungle... there's one for you, I would guarantee it. I'm going to try my best to span a few different sounds this week, but I tend to stick to the intelligent end of things. (You will never see an entry about happy hardcore in here, it's simply NOT my style. Chipmunk vocals singing over 300 bpm tracks just doesn't do anything soulful for me.)
I'm a Drum & Bass person. And I normally explain this with a really great analogy: "It's the heavy metal of electronic music." It's heavy, hard-hitting, vibey, tough, and thick. (To me, it's the most interesting of the genres, but that's again probably personal taste coming through.) In comparison to snobby metal heads, the people who like drum & bass are all normally smart, they're all sharp-tongued, and all very elitist. Especially if you're talking to someone who spins D&B. Any metal-head musicians who spunk over Slayer, Dream Theater and Mastadon, for example, would get their sensibilities upset if someone in a Creed shirt walked into "their" show. Kandi kid type ravers don't generally display their neon nightmare rainbow glowsticking asses at drum & bass events. Because even if you love those drum & bass DJs, you know they will HATE you if you wear that neon pink skirt and 50+ kandi bracelets up to your elbows to their show... they look down their nose at all the other sub-genres, for the most part.
Which, if you know me, means it's kind of the perfect genre for me anyway. But I digress.
Trance? If you're a female or gay, you like this. (No seriously, all gay men love trance. Test that theory, you'll see I'm right. Do it, you won't.) Breakbeats? Oh, that's the mother of Drum & Bass.
You know that that theme song to House, M.D. that you love so much? That's trip hop, a song by Massive Attack... One of the children of Downtempo.
Are you confused yet? Because I know I was... Don't fret, I'm here to halp.
I'm going to give you a tool that either you are familiar with already because it's an Internet Staple and you're awesome, or you're about to click this link and get lost on this site for at least a couple hours; our god of magical flow charts: Ishkur's Guide To Electronic Music.
Screen cap added for visual interest stimulation - trust me when I say you will ADORE screwing around on this site. Bookmark it posthaste.
(One of my favorite descriptions for a genre is Ishkur's intense, scathing rant about Robert Miles in the "Dream" genre of Trance - I still laugh when I read it to this day; god it's so true!), but he gives you several audio clip examples when you click on them as well (see bottom right of screencap - The Chemical Brothers song is playing you a sample, and you have 5 other examples if that one doesn't do it for you). I was surprised to find Bjork under the Downtempo category as an example of "downbeat" back in the day when I was first referred to the site. You know exactly what he's talking about because as you're hearing it, he's describing it's history and birth. Ishkur has a talent for recalling history and details, as well as the vast vernacular one would need to describe what you're hearing and why it differs from something else. It's not only fun, but it's incredibly educational and helpful to someone who really doesn't GET those little quirks that define everyone's niche.
If you feel like this isn't going to suit you because you've never heard an EDM song you've liked.... well, maybe this week, you will. I sincerely hope I can introduce you to something you've never heard before that you truly love, and maybe it'll set your ball rolling (excuse the pun?) like it did for me when I heard Deena's DJ Icey song back in 2003.
All I'm trying to say is, keep an open mind. You might learn something from me... I had wonderful guides along the way.
Thanks go to all these people for all these things:
Deena,* she started this avalanche with the first echo.
Scott, one of my contributors to this blog (when he feels the rare itch to write about something, haha) who introduced me to trip hop in general, and the Chemical Brothers. (I am forever indebted to Scott for a TON of incredible music in my life.) Scott is also to thank for the wonderous inception of Ishkur's Guide into my life back when he introduced me to tons of EDM and I didn't understand how to "categorize" anything.
Matthew*, he helped throw the first dance party at my house, and is sorely missed to this day in my life.
Tiner,* mutual friend of Matthew & Bettie, she gave me my first light show while we listened to DJ DB (and taught me how to look for my sanity). She is my ultimate Dance Party perpetrator. Oh, and I love to huggle her to pieces.
Bettie,* she was truly my "den mother" here. She took me to event after event. Showed me the glory of taking 4-6 hours to ready for an event. She integrated me into this scene. She knew people. People knew her and loved her. She held my hand and was my ultimate rave buddy. She watched out for me everywhere we went, and for all intents and purposes, she might be solely responsible for the fact that I got into any kind of EDM as much as I did. I have her to thank for Breakbeat Science, which in turn directed me straight towards drum & bass. (It's possible she was a little disappointed that I didn't stay into House music, but I think she forgives me for turning to drum & bass, since we're special BFFs and all.)
Will Guise also gets my personal thanks. Even if we have our tiffs and show downs, all I know is that I was lucky enough to fall into the hands of an incredibly capable drum & bass DJ as a friend and mentor of sorts. Will used to do sets several times a week online, trying new mixes and such, and he shared countless tracks and albums with me. All that really taught me a metric ass ton about proper drum & bass, and is really the ultimate reason why I scoff at ALL OF YOU. Guise is the cunty-smart DJ friend and I shall forever be grateful he made fun of me for pretty much everything I liked (and like now), because without him AND Bettie both around, I might possibly be listening to something really god awful. I'm glad I was taught well before bad habits ensued.
I love all of you for everything you've done for me on this one. Becoming part of this community has been a pretty huge part of my life and a lot of incredible memories were made thanks to these people and the music they showed me with true passion. It is now my passion, as well.
Starscape 2008, sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay. One of the best nights I've ever had prefaced this photo. <3
...this is what runs my click track heart.
* Names changed to protect the innocent during possible future political campaigns.
Don't forget to click the title of the blog. You might miss an inside joke...
...especially if you're one of my East Coast Friends.
Best Coast makes me so happy. They encompass the feel of surf rock without the annoying parts, so maybe it's technically it's own indie genre. Who even knows what the fuck genres there are anymore, anyway.
I heard "Boyfriend" on some indie playlist a friend sent me with like 120 songs on it. (It was mostly unremarkable, aside from Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and this song.) It was the definition of "stand-out" song. Super cute girly lyrics (with their female singer) such as "I'd love him to the very end but instead he is just a friend, I wish he was my boyfriend," reminds me of a song I would've written if I was an angsty teenager and had a bit of talent (which I certainly didn't), but instead Bethany Cosentino makes you feel nostalgic. Maybe it's intentional, but even if that's not the case, I'm still in love with their sound. They're from Los Angeles, CA, so their sound is pretty authentic on the "surf rock" side of things.
Another great track (that immediately reminded me of my boyfriend and myself, -insert chuckle here-) is Crazy For You, which I can certainly relate to "I wanna hit you then I kiss you, I wanna kill you but then I'd miss you." Clever, crazy lady. I like it when people nail down a feeling for me in a song.
Besides, how can you dislike someone who draws their inspiration from "boys, California, weed, and her cat"?
NOT to mention... I'm pretty sure that's her cat on the album cover.
Adorable. Please keep up the fantastic work, Best Coast.
I know a lot of us are "elitists" and music fanatics. Especially the people I surround myself with, and that's the best, really. But I dislike it when people smirk at the fact that I love Justin Bieber, Paramore, and 30 Seconds to Mars, for example. Yes they're huge. Yes, they seem generic. Yes, they're the kind of music you make fun of your friends for liking, but I really only think it's out of Elitist Habit. People are inherently scared to genuinely like music for what it is created for - to be enjoyed. HOW you enjoy it us up to you, of course. Maybe some people listen to Bieber and get misty eyed, I know I don't. I just happen to enjoy his singing and dancing.
I think people are also missing some of the humor in pop music, as well. Katy Perry is pretty funny. Who else puts THIS in their music video?
She makes me laugh. There's so many stories of her being a total goofball. I can't even pick just ONE funny animated gif of her, so here's a couple more.
(omg she's so FAT! lol.)
Katy's probably the kind of chick I would like to have as a friend after seeing her in California Girls (featuring Snoop Dogg, by the way! If the Boss thinks she's cool, because I'm pretty sure he doesn't need the money.... I surely do.) Also, for fun, if you wanna see the 15 most sexually suggestive Katy Perry gifs you can follow the link!
So animated gifs aside (although I know we all love them), her music is just ...okay. I can dance to it, and she makes me happy. That's what Katy Perry is supposed to do. I don't know anyone who finds her iconic or deep, but that doesn't really matter when I'm just looking for music to listen to for dancing while I clean, or cute music videos that make me smile, right? But I happen to think that personality goes a long way, where she WINS. And that also counts for Justin Bieber. I think his break into stardom stems from having genuine personality.
Yeah I said it, and I'm gonna talk about him.
Justin Bieber gets my respect (yes, I said respect) because that kid was yoinked out of Canada at age 13 and into a crazy pop star life that he deserves. He was singing and playing his acoustic guitar on youtube, videos posted by his own mother, and had millions of fans already when a Mr. Braun (who works with Usher) clicked on one of Bieber's videos by accident and went through all kinds of crap to get JB down to Atlanta, GA to record some demos. (Bieber's mother is a Christian and a very religious person, so it took some finesse, evidently. She even had to pray with the elders of her church before deciding that it was okay to let him go record music. "God, I gave him to you. You could send me a Christian man, a Christian label!" she was quoted as saying in an interview when she recalled praying to God... Wow. Hey Ma, you like MILLIONS OF DOLLARS? Thanks see ya later now where's the airport.)
He was 13 when he flew to the US to record those demos in 2008, and a year later, he was a fucking superstar.
People want to make fun of him, I know, it's really easy. He's the dreamy teen boy pop icon. His songs are about school dances and holding hands. However, I'm unapologetic about loving Justin Bieber anymore, because it makes me feel like a kid to listen to him, and I'm not mad about it. I can't say I own even ONE of his albums, but that's okay, I'm happy with the singles.
Somebody To Love, ft. Usher is my favorite. If you like to dance at all, this is your tune. I'm pretty sure Justin doesn't really need somebody to love at 16 years old, but hell, he's a Christian, what do you want. He isn't gonna sing about poking chicks and getting blow jobs in limos until he's well over 18 and mom can't yell at him anymore. Give the kid a break. He's got talent, which is undeniable. Even if he's not your "brand" of music.
Besides, are you a female and unable to resist the urge to pinch his cheeks?
That's what I thought. He's 16, don't worry, it's legal in most states to AT LEAST pinch his cheeks....
Don't pretend that it's all about the music. Image is a HUGE part of music, and anyone who plays it knows it. Justin's appeal stemmed from the millions of people who already loved him on youtube. There's no way I can fault someone for building a following and THEN getting a record deal. He just happened to be motivated and loved playing music. Justin gets that respect I spoke of before because he did it the right way - he used his talent for singing and playing instruments (that he taught himself to play!) to garner fans, he seems genuinely in love with all his fans, and he isn't some carbon copy pop star. Which is what I think people think of him. He wasn't created - he created it for himself.
Speaking of image, that leads me me to my last band in this entry.
30 Seconds to Mars.
I could go on and on about 30STM. I've always been a fan of Jared Leto, but when I heard he had a band, I smirked and said "Fucking movie stars don't know how to just be actors. They want to do EVERYTHING." There's several actors who have bands, but none had the success of Jared Leto. My friend Gregg links me to a video one night, it's The Kill (Bury Me).
This is a PERFECT example of how a video can win me over. But I'm pretty sure that requires an entire blog all on it's own, because bands who are clever, have a sense of humor, or have a dramatic vision (like Leto does) capture my heart.
Okay, okay. I'll ADMIT that the homoerotic hallway scene kind of made my girl parts tingle...
Whatever, Leto is the only man alive who makes me quite literally swoon. I'm sure it's a biological thing...
But that aside, after hearing The Kill, at a musician friend's recommendation, I changed my mind about 30STM pretty quickly. I got the album, A Beautiful Lie, and I'm quite attached to it. I decided this isn't just some jerk-off music project he does in his off time to keep himself in the spotlight. He genuinely enjoys recording and performing. He loves his fans, he loves being in front of a crowd, and he loves his music...
...And his bright pink (sorry, Jared - pomegranate) -colored mohawk.
( May 15 2010, when we went to the show in LA)
I feel like I should STILL be ashamed for loving them for some reason. I mean, I literally feel like a total fucking fangirl faggot for loving this band as much as I do.
The band was formed in 1998 in LA. It's composed of three members, one of which is Leto's brother, Shannon. (The gene pool didn't extend as far as Shannon in the looks department, trust me, I checked on that.)
(yeah we were at this one! weeeee)
At any rate, Anthony is a good boyfriend and he sat through me being completely starfucked & swoony for an entire day. We won tickets to a 30STM show in Los Angeles through KROQ that included a meet & greet and private performance before the show. (Thank you KROQ - I'm pretty sure that I never would've never gotten the chance to touch him if you hadn't hooked it up, I'm still kind of giddy about it.) Besides the fact that i was already a fan and I locked up as SOON as I laid eyes on him about 15 feet in front of me... well, what I'm about to tell you is what really sold me on them.
(another May 15 meet & greet photo)
Jared Leto was sick, "with ebola or something horrible," he said, "And Shannon's being a little bitch so he won't come out." (Lawls.) He still put forth a ridiculous little performance, just for the 40 of us who got those special tickets. He got a little kid on stage and let him play piano with him, and this kid was totally HIGH on that for hours afterwards. (I swear to god my heart broke a little when the kid said outside of the venue, "Mom now no one can make fun of me at school anymore, I sang on stage with 30 Seconds To Mars!" awwwww!.... awwww. *sad face*)
(this kid was so fuckin cute)
It was completely heart warming, to the say the least. He made that kid's LIFE. Then he took pictures with everyone.... which I will never see because KROQ wrote my email address down wrong. Sad day right? Anyway, I digress. I have TONS of pictures of him that I took myself anyways!
Leto was sick, but the show that night was ALSO sick. The thing is, Jared Leto is an ACTOR at heart. He loves the drama in everything. He likes to make a show of it, He took the Rock Star persona, put that suit on, and found out that it fit him quite well with very little tailoring. 30 Seconds To Mars is certainly a phenomenal stage show to look at - Jared never stops moving, the band is all decked out in awesome rock gear, and the light show is out of this fucking world.
(I have tons of show photos, but I'll spare you those & just post my favorite one I took that night)
The music, bitch, talk about the music! you say.
Yes, I'm getting there, I swear. This all leads up to it.
I don't think I would have liked their new album if I hadn't gone to the show. I don't think I would have liked myself as a FAN if I hadn't gone. But they create this family atmosphere that i think a lot of people (not just teenagers) respond to.
But their video for Closer To The Edge pretty much shows you what we saw that night -
Jared doesn't fuck around. Hate him if you will, but dude ALSO has talent. He plays guitar, he sings (very well, actually), and their music is a tribute to the legendary-huge sound and drama that to myself seems to resemble a very Queen-like feel that I think most modern rock bands have left behind. Queen really loved performing for the masses as well, and it shows.
Their album This Is War didn't do much for me at first. Yes it's so epic sounding, and it's very well produced... but something about it didn't feel right to me. It was almost ...corny. Overdone.
But after seeing their stage show, the video for Closer To The Edge, and the environment and atmosphere they create where their fans feel so included... makes my heart explode a little. The music isn't BAD, it's just supposed to accompany a feeling. They want you to feel important and special. 30STM makes everything so grandiose and sensational, and they include me in it every step of the way... I can't ignore it. I love drama (in the theater sense, dickheads) and I love the fan inclusion. I even had my picture taken by their "people" to go in the DVD cover (that they were filming for at the show), so let's hope my pretty face makes it in there.
And to think... there's people who came to know Jared Leto as a singer and rock performer, and NOT as the heroin addict Harry who had a gangrenous arm in Requiem For A Dream. (I'd still do him, for the record, even with an arm off... shit, even with that arm ON, I think.)
I often wonder if teen fan-girls of 30 Seconds To Mars stumble across this movie with Leto in it, and say "OH YAY! A movie with Jared in it, let's get it!" and then are scarred for life.
Well, I'll be honest.... I've oft hoped that happens.
Some of my buddies think he should have just not even bothered. My BFF Paul's infamous quote is, "Queermo shoulda stuck to what he knew! He just had a good agent." hahah... even if he IS a queermo, well, I dunno about you... but can I get that agent's number? His band's pretty successful and loved. (Paul, you know we'd all be awesome rock stars.)
That being said, I think A Beautiful Lie is still the superior album, as much as I like This Is War for the rock opera feel.
Now. Who can tell me what we've learned today?
A. I have a huge boner for Jared Leto. (Shut up.) B. Justin Bieber worked for what he has and deserves it. C. Katy Perry is at least a riot... her music doesn't have to be moving. I wanna hug her. D. Popular music doesn't have to be scary - you just have to admit to yourself that you like it and if someone else doesn't, that's their loss and your gain. Love it ANYWAY, even if someone gives you shit for it. E. All of the above.
Did you really make it through this blog? Here's your banana sticker. I love you.
