Drum machines in alt country? - Absolutely - and given the genre's general adherence to vintage instrumentation and organic recording styles, this is actually a very funny tie-in on your part. Wilco - when they were still considered very 'alt-country' - used drum machines on two albums I can think of, Summer Teeth and the break-through Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (albeit usually in combination with real drums or as some kind of odd intro into a song).
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Do Drum machines have soul?
Nice find, Sean.
But did Steve Earle ever use a dream machine? Or did/does anyone in the alt-country genre use one?
A friend of mine – who I used to play drums in a band with – gave me his old drum machine the other day.
When I saw it, it was like he was giving me a turntable or VHS player. Ah, how the years have passed. This old Roland TR-505 -- a relic from the 80s --was dusty and clearly archaic. Even in its prime, its 16 drum tones were an inexpensive way to make rhythm – cheesy sounding as they were. Early 80s Brit artists such as Vince Clarke used this particular machine.
As I fiddled with it, I was reminded of a bumper sticker a guy gave me: “Drum Machines Have No Soul.” Apparently, he was trying to get some kind of petition together to like ban drum machines or something.
That said, they’ve never really went away, and in fact have enjoyed a bit of resurgence as 80s music finds some followers post-2000.
I used to think they had no soul. But if you can blend them with real drums, you sometimes get a great product, and some soul: i.e., Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur” or Tears for Fears “Mad World” (I’m pretty sure it’s a machine anyway).
For a demo of the sound on one these machines, check out http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/505.php.
But did Steve Earle ever use a dream machine? Or did/does anyone in the alt-country genre use one?
A friend of mine – who I used to play drums in a band with – gave me his old drum machine the other day.
When I saw it, it was like he was giving me a turntable or VHS player. Ah, how the years have passed. This old Roland TR-505 -- a relic from the 80s --was dusty and clearly archaic. Even in its prime, its 16 drum tones were an inexpensive way to make rhythm – cheesy sounding as they were. Early 80s Brit artists such as Vince Clarke used this particular machine.
As I fiddled with it, I was reminded of a bumper sticker a guy gave me: “Drum Machines Have No Soul.” Apparently, he was trying to get some kind of petition together to like ban drum machines or something.
That said, they’ve never really went away, and in fact have enjoyed a bit of resurgence as 80s music finds some followers post-2000.
I used to think they had no soul. But if you can blend them with real drums, you sometimes get a great product, and some soul: i.e., Duran Duran’s “The Chauffeur” or Tears for Fears “Mad World” (I’m pretty sure it’s a machine anyway).
For a demo of the sound on one these machines, check out http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/505.php.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Minor Correction....
Ok, fair enough that digging up a Jeff Tweedy or Ryan Adams mullet shot might take a trip pretty far back in the musical time machine (Tweedy I'm almost sure had some version at one time or another, but - in the case of Adams - it would more likely be some obscure member of his touring band at some point).
But, not to disappoint - one of the most influential people to major players in the genre of alt country (including Tweedy and co-founder of his original band, Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar) - none other than Steve Earle started out with a bit more of a #%*?-kicking country vibe back in the 80's (pretty nice tie-in for our purposes).
No more evidence is needed than this YouTube clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVRptrARRc4
Nice Bono reference Ryan - that has to be one of the all-time greats as far as the pop-rock side goes...
Sean
But, not to disappoint - one of the most influential people to major players in the genre of alt country (including Tweedy and co-founder of his original band, Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar) - none other than Steve Earle started out with a bit more of a #%*?-kicking country vibe back in the 80's (pretty nice tie-in for our purposes).
No more evidence is needed than this YouTube clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVRptrARRc4
Nice Bono reference Ryan - that has to be one of the all-time greats as far as the pop-rock side goes...
Sean
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
And some Brit pop definitely DOES involve mullets...
Hello, everyone -- anyone.
And welcome to our blog. Sean and I are attempting something here that has never been done.We are tying together 80s pop and alternative country music in ways neither Sean nor I fully get ourselves.
So bare with us as we walk down a musical path that we hope ties the genres together. We just want to talk about our musical tastes and tie them together. Feel free to come along for the ride.
But beware...
It could get hairy.
In fact, I know it's getting hairy already.
I googled for a photo of a mullet on Jeff Tweedy and somehow ended up at pictures of Frank Zappa and Jeff Beck -- who probably would have much rather had their hair waxed then had a mullet.
But that doesn't mean mullets are altogether without precedent among the great performers of the 80s, who are still around, and in some cases relevant today.
Suspect #1: Bono.
For all you young ones out there, did you know that in the early to mid-1980s, Bono had a mullet? That's right, the lead singer who brought you Vertigo had this huge puffy thing on top of his head, short on the sides and really long in the back. As a 13-year-old kid, I couldn't stand it (even though I later got one -- see why below). Seriously, it was so pronounced, I couldn't even enjoy the music. But I got over it, only to realize that this guy, and this band have put out some of the greatest rock and pop of the 80s and today.
Suspect #2: Duran Duran
Whatever you think of their music (and many either love it or hate it), you've got to admit, they made the mullet respectable as they influenced a lot of today's contemporary artists -- The Killers, Mark Ronson, etc.
Check out Simon LeBon in the "Wild Boys" video. As a wanna-be rocker in the 80s, it prompted me to shave the sides of my head and let everything else grow long.
Hey, it was something different....
Unfortunately for Duran, it's hard to read anything current about that band without a reference to their 80s hair (though that's become less so in recent years). But they've made a respectable career for themselves -- even without mullets.
And I've moved on myself -- for the sake of being employed.
As for alternative country...I don't expect to be seeing anyone, let alone Ryan Adams or Wilco, with mullets any time soon.
Mullets for pop -- or even alternative pop/country -- stars are buried deep in the past, RIGHT?
It's amazing though that Ryan Adams had any connection to country... I had no idea.
A few years ago I saw Adams open for Alanis Morissette at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal Studios Hollywood. Our seats weren't that close. Maybe, if I'd have looked close enough, I would have found he had a mullet. I doubt it.
Even if did though, the music rocked. It sure didn't sound country, though...
Here's a few more mullet-wearers from the 80s:
*Brian Setzer (Stray Cats)
*Pat Benatar (On women, it's known as a fullet).
*Geddy Lee (Rush)
*Joe Elliot (Def Leopard)
*Howard Jones
*David Bowie/Ziggy (circa 70s, the pioneer)
Feel free to add on to this list....
And welcome to our blog. Sean and I are attempting something here that has never been done.We are tying together 80s pop and alternative country music in ways neither Sean nor I fully get ourselves.
So bare with us as we walk down a musical path that we hope ties the genres together. We just want to talk about our musical tastes and tie them together. Feel free to come along for the ride.
But beware...
It could get hairy.
In fact, I know it's getting hairy already.
I googled for a photo of a mullet on Jeff Tweedy and somehow ended up at pictures of Frank Zappa and Jeff Beck -- who probably would have much rather had their hair waxed then had a mullet.
But that doesn't mean mullets are altogether without precedent among the great performers of the 80s, who are still around, and in some cases relevant today.
Suspect #1: Bono.
For all you young ones out there, did you know that in the early to mid-1980s, Bono had a mullet? That's right, the lead singer who brought you Vertigo had this huge puffy thing on top of his head, short on the sides and really long in the back. As a 13-year-old kid, I couldn't stand it (even though I later got one -- see why below). Seriously, it was so pronounced, I couldn't even enjoy the music. But I got over it, only to realize that this guy, and this band have put out some of the greatest rock and pop of the 80s and today.
Suspect #2: Duran Duran
Whatever you think of their music (and many either love it or hate it), you've got to admit, they made the mullet respectable as they influenced a lot of today's contemporary artists -- The Killers, Mark Ronson, etc.
Check out Simon LeBon in the "Wild Boys" video. As a wanna-be rocker in the 80s, it prompted me to shave the sides of my head and let everything else grow long.
Hey, it was something different....
Unfortunately for Duran, it's hard to read anything current about that band without a reference to their 80s hair (though that's become less so in recent years). But they've made a respectable career for themselves -- even without mullets.
And I've moved on myself -- for the sake of being employed.
As for alternative country...I don't expect to be seeing anyone, let alone Ryan Adams or Wilco, with mullets any time soon.
Mullets for pop -- or even alternative pop/country -- stars are buried deep in the past, RIGHT?
It's amazing though that Ryan Adams had any connection to country... I had no idea.
A few years ago I saw Adams open for Alanis Morissette at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal Studios Hollywood. Our seats weren't that close. Maybe, if I'd have looked close enough, I would have found he had a mullet. I doubt it.
Even if did though, the music rocked. It sure didn't sound country, though...
Here's a few more mullet-wearers from the 80s:
*Brian Setzer (Stray Cats)
*Pat Benatar (On women, it's known as a fullet).
*Geddy Lee (Rush)
*Joe Elliot (Def Leopard)
*Howard Jones
*David Bowie/Ziggy (circa 70s, the pioneer)
Feel free to add on to this list....
Monday, October 12, 2009
Some country music does not involve mullets (at least most of the time)
In the spirit of our Blog's title, the first post has to do with Mullets. While most people who have seen 5 minutes of video on any country music TV station would surely note - the Mullet has often been the hairstyle of choice among Nashville's esteemed list of twangers over the past few decades. Perhaps a forgotten fact - this hairstyle was also a favorite of many successful pop artists from the 1980s - so this subject certainly is relevant to either of this Blog's primary pontificates.
Being that I got first crack at this, I would like (at least partially) to contradict this some in regards to the country folks - in particular the very specific genre I prefer - Alternative Country. Most people are probably thinking - "what is the difference - I heard the word country and that surely means songs about beer, ticks, and a line in almost every song about some old guy (or gal) who sang country (usually Hank Williams).”
But Alt Country is something a bit different. Some of the early purveyors of this musical fair were bands like Wilco (now a Grammy awarding winning, experimental pop band) and Whiskeytown (one of the founding members is critical fave Ryan Adams). These outfits often used country instrumentation, and even wrote purest country songs, but sounded a lot more like The Band or Flying Burrito Brothers than some pre-packaged country act. And - most of the time - the Mullet is hard to find in band photos of any group from this genre (although I have to admit some early photos of Jeff Tweedy from Wilco might water down my point a bit....).
Sean
Being that I got first crack at this, I would like (at least partially) to contradict this some in regards to the country folks - in particular the very specific genre I prefer - Alternative Country. Most people are probably thinking - "what is the difference - I heard the word country and that surely means songs about beer, ticks, and a line in almost every song about some old guy (or gal) who sang country (usually Hank Williams).”
But Alt Country is something a bit different. Some of the early purveyors of this musical fair were bands like Wilco (now a Grammy awarding winning, experimental pop band) and Whiskeytown (one of the founding members is critical fave Ryan Adams). These outfits often used country instrumentation, and even wrote purest country songs, but sounded a lot more like The Band or Flying Burrito Brothers than some pre-packaged country act. And - most of the time - the Mullet is hard to find in band photos of any group from this genre (although I have to admit some early photos of Jeff Tweedy from Wilco might water down my point a bit....).
Sean
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