Blondelle; Music Journalism; Music

Hello Lads,

In an attempt to forget that I have a major final exam this bloody Tuesday--it's a German exam, go figure--and that I have to study for the thing, I have started writing this post. yep.

In recent months, days, hours, I have been wondering what it means to be a rock critic. A music journalist. ROCK JOURNALIST. What does it mean? Does it mean that I have to kiss some butt, get on the good side of a band, praise it, and then write a review in hopes that the band will read it and be glad that I am kissing its butt? No...no...NO! It's all pure bollocks. That's not what LESTER fucking BANGS said. Yes. I know. You have no idea who this man is, I barely even know a few things about him, but after reading some "last interview of Lester Bangs," I have figured out something, something grand and at the same time something that places me in a quandary. Something that makes me question everything in the vicinity of what I want to do this summer, of what I want to do after undergraduate school, of what I want to do as an old fart. haha. I am not rambling about music, it seems, but i AM. Believe me, I am. I love music. Music and writing are my terrible pains, loves, and desires. I write in a blog, I am one half of Pop! Music, but what does this give me? What does this make me? I write posts for a blog, and I kiss the butts of bands. Is this what a rock critic does? NO! NO! Not at all. Hahahahaha. But I've nothing more to say. I'm already going against the mainstream flow, and there is nothing else to type. I have no voice, if I had a voice, I would be writing reviews that YOU, the reader would want to read, not because of the bands that I am praising or slaughtering, but because I am a good writer and you want to read my stuff. Yes. I need to think about you, you the reader.

WHAT THE HELL? SCARLETT JOHANSSON has an album covering Tom Waits music. I have not listened to it, nor do I want to. I have listened to its first released song, whose bloody name I do not know, and will not type upon this window, and it reminded me of a decrepit Nico. Is she Nico? Is she trying to copy Nico's voice? I mean, I'm no fan of Nico, but THE VELVET UNDERGROUND and NICO was by far a great album, and a good collaboration. Okay. Fact is, Bangs spoke about this, he talked about the music scene dying because everything that we are listening to is a broken down trend that we are fed so that we buy and keep on maintaining music that is pure trash. This is, of course, is the really raw interpretation.

I know nothing of Tom Waits. Sincerely, I have no idea is his songs are good or not, but just the fact that someone can put out an album in the hopes to earn more money just amazes me and it just pisses me off that people who already have money, already have a career want to expand in a field that is already filled with bad music that is being fed to us, and in a field where the good music is left behind in the shadows of nothing just because it does not follow the trends of specific mainstream things.

Which now tells me to type the reason why I wanted to post a post: Blondelle broke up. I'm not saying they were GREAT, heaven knows that I only deem some bands as great, but, they were a piece of work. They were a band still evolving in their sound, still in need of much growth, growth that would perhaps lead them into greatness, and now this happens. I know not the reasons for the break-up, though I hope someday I can claim to know what they were/are. Go on to their myspace and download one of their songs, and let me know what you think. Or don't let me know what you think. It doesn't matter, in any case.

I know, I know. You think I'm a bloody hypocrite because, surely, I just dumped poop on Scarlett, and then praised Blondelle. Well, damn, you got me, but, not in the least. I do think Blondelle had substance. I do believe that in years to come, they would have been the mainstream poop that we are told to buy, and then they would have died as artists, once they followed the follies of the scene, of the world where music means cash and nothing else. German,

A Short Forthcoming

I am currently not on my own laptop, and am unable to post any concert reviews that I have written about the previous concerts that I have attended. I will be posting about the Ode to Ochrasy Tour led by the Swedish band Mando Diao. Their opening bands were: Pop Levi, and The Capshuns. Mando Diao are an indie band that have been around since 1996, and toured Europe for most of these years. They have led two tours in the U.S. One which finalized this May 22, 2007 at the Troubadour, and the other which was in 2004, I believe.

I would consider them power rock, but are more on the verge of pop rock. As far as comparing them to other bands, they might sound a little like Blondelle, or if you want a reference to mainstream, they would be a mixture of rock music you can dance to. Sorry, I can't compare them to a mainstream band because my list of mainstream bands is short, but one of my friends said that they remind her a little of The Beatles, could it be because both come from European countries? I do not know. Until the day that I post the review of Mando Diao, listen to them and if you have a band with whom you can compare them to, please let me know. You might find them on youtube, myspace, and perhaps on a rerun of Conan O'Brien's late night show of May 25, 2007.


-C.S.H.-- I will be posting with my initials instead of with my name. Thank You.