They Say Jump, You Say "How High?"

It wouldn't be summer if I didn't visit Randalls Island at least once to see some loud rock n' roll music. The dust pit used to hold the Warped Tour every year until they decided to bring it out to Long Island. Still, I haven't gone a summer without going to Randalls Island since 1999 and this summer was no different. Well, actually it was a little different, this summer was the reunion of Rage Against The Machine at the mostly hip-hop Rock The Bells festival. Hip-hop fans, hard rock fans, meatheads, frat boys and the MTA Transit all celebrated (Open letter to the city of New York and MTA: Hey guys, Thanks for charging the extra dollar on the bus to get to Randalls Island and making everyone buy a round trip ticket in advance. I also would like to express gratitude that you made sure to not allow people to use their monthly passes, since that wouldn't be fair to us who had to pay a dollar extra for the ride. I mean, sure, it's public transportation with set rates but since it's an "express" bus, I'm sure that warrants the extra buck. I'm also sure that all this extra money will go towards raising the salaries of the workers at the MTA and not to, er, I dunno, some rich white guy somewhere. Either way, I'm always happy to hang out with you guys. I actually got a ride back instead of taking the bus, which is too bad, because I was thinking of inviting all the MTA workers over to my apartment where we could make popcorn, snuggle up on the couch, and watch The Notebook on VHS.)

Oh, anyways, the show. A few observations (pre-RATM):

1) Holy shit, Flava Flav looks like he still smokes way too much crack. His eyes are pure YELLOW!

2) Quote of the year so far is when Flav brought his kids out: "Yo, these are my motherfuckin' kids! They're on the honor roll"

3) I never knew the Roots were that talented.

4) Ok, Cypress Hill, really? You guys are almost 40 and you're still obsessed with this slacker/marijuana/gangsta culture. It's time to give it up. As much as people might want to see fat 40-year-olds parade around stage rapping about getting weed in the mail and pretended to be tough guys, it's just laughable. You do realize you're a walking punch line, right?

5) I almost fell asleep during Wu-Tang. Seriously, the whole set seemed like a tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan than them actually performing. They spent 40% of it just getting prepared for the verse "Here we go", "Turn my mic up", "Throw your hands in the air", etc.

Now, Rage Against The Machine. No stupid corny bullshit intro music. No big build-up. They walked onstage with Zach De La Rocha proclaiming "Good evening, we are Rage Against The Machine from Los Angeles, California" and then, BOOM, ripped right into "Testify." The power that these guys bring with their music is incredible. There's no melody to really be found anywhere but it's still breath-taking. Seriously, I think at the end of "Down Rodeo" when Zach whispers "such a quiet, peaceful death" is one of the most beautiful moments in a song I've ever heard. My friend who was having the time of his life in the pits, grabbed me at one point and simply noted "This is awesome man. No computers, no pre-set sounds" and he was right. Rage relies on nothing more than guitar, bass and vocals yet they don't sound tired, they don't sound uninspired, they sound like a violent battle you don't want to fuck with.

Let's not forget that Zach barely said anything. They just ripped through one powerful song after another. This is the type of band where EVERY song they play is huge. Be it "Know Your Enemy", "Guerilla Radio", "Tire Me", every song was a crowd favorite. Zach saved his anti-Bush speech for the end proving that he's just as angry as ever, as he should be given the current administration. As a band, they were tight as ever. You can tell Tom Morello loves playing those riffs, much more than any Audioslave song. If there's one thing this night did for me, it told me I could never give up on rock music. No matter how boring or mundane it can seem at times, there is a reason it still exists. Rage Against The Machine are one of those reasons.

Still, I wondered how many of the fans there were able to grasp what Rage were about. Did they rally behind the social lyrics, the messages of political unfairness and oppression? Did they want to stand up and fight the system, fight the power? Or where they just looking to have a mock football practice and "kick some ass"? There were a lot of big cheers after Zach stated Bush should be brought to justice, but how many of those cheers were people following along with the crowd? How many people can truly think for themselves? Do people really want to stand up and challenge social injustices, or do they just want to let a rock band make them feel empowered for an hour and 20 minutes and then go back to letting FOX News do their thinking for them? Who knows the answers to all these questions but one thing is for sure: we need Rage Against The Machine to stay.

The leak

I read an interesting article in SPIN this month (I know, when do "interesting article" and SPIN ever go in the same senetence?) and I was amazed that it took this long for a magazine to cover this issue. The record leak has been going strong for nearly 10 years and labels are still going apeshit about what to do about it. Some people argue that it takes away from that first listen. You know, how you used to go to the CD store, buy the CD, unwrap the plastic in the parking lot (which would take 5-10 minutes for most people since they still package those things so you have to de-claw, cut, rip apart and scratch the fucking package to get the plastic off. By the way, what the fuck is the point of putting the promotional sticker on the INSIDE of the plastic? If I've already bought it do I really need to know what "hit singles" it features? You already have my $12.99, what do you care?) Anyways, as I was saying, major labels are shitting their pants because kids are downloading the new Young Jeezy jams insteads of forking over $16.99 at their local FYE. Don't worry, that's where your good overstimulated friend comes in to help calm you down. Major labels and major acts should take special note (not like any of you would ever be reading my pathetic blog, but just in case). Little bands, use this to your advantage.

ALBUM LEAK DO'S AND DONT'S

DO stream the CD on your MySpace/Website once you've found out your album leaks. This will allow fans to hear it who might have downloaded it to begin with. Since you can't really rip a stream (and if you do, it sounds like shit) it will allow people to do what they would be doing by downloading it. That is, SEEING IF IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD. Contrary to belief, most people are way too stupid to navigate around the web to find newly leaked material, that is, with crap like Kazaa, Morpheus and all the other McDonald's versions of p2p programs being out of commission. Of course, most people have that one "computer geek" friend who can find anything but, if you stream the CD on your site, your big fans and casual fans will love the early treat and will appreciate you adapting to the times.

DON'T be a little bitch and do a bunch of press saying how you're totally pissed and heartbroken that your record leaked and that you worked so hard and that "people need to appreciate the full presentation of the album." Blah, blah, blah, what this really translates to is "I'm losing sales, don't steal from me." Look, I know you all take a lot of pride in the artwork and layout of the CD, but the fact of the matter is that not that many people care. They want what they want and they want it now. Doing this just makes you look like a crybaby pussy and people lose respect for you. Especially and I repeat ESPECIALLY when you're already a multi-platinum artist. Yes, I know, you don't make as much money as people think with managers, record label execs, producers, engineers, lawyers, publicists, booking agents, etc. to pay but still, it will only hurt your image when you bitch about this and try to make it out like it's a worldwide tragedy (I'm looking in your direction Pete Wentz).

DO post a message on your website/myspace/newsletter indicating that you've been made aware of the leak and make it be something like this: "Hey guys, so we realized our CD leaked and we wanted to let you guys know we're also streaming it on our website if you don't want to have to hunt around the internet for it. We appreciate all your support and hope you still choose to purchase it come . Thanks again, we love our fans!" Really, you'd be surprised at how people respond to honesty.

DO add some bonus features to your CD. Unreleased tracks, music videos, a small DVD. Fans really pick up on this kinda stuff, however...

DON'T charge extra for it. It's really fucking dumb seeing the "deluxe version" of some CD that's $5 more with some DVD of the band basically sitting around playing grabass with each other. Remember, these bonus DVDs are usually something people are only gonna watch once and the "bonus tracks", well, usually there's a reason you didn't want to initially put it on the album. Also, I know it's tempting, but don't do all this bullshit where Best Buy gets a certain bonus track, Circuit City gets another, Itunes, gets another etc. That's basically asking people to download it for free.

Also, here's a few tips on how not to have your CD leaked:

DON'T give it to anybody. Seriously. Giving someone advance music by a big artist is like telling your friend that you're banging your hot math teacher. It's just not something people can keep to themselves. So, if you wonder why your new CD is online and remember giving it to that dipshit friend of your kid brothers, don't come crying to us about it.

DO release a few tracks before the CD is out. Sure, we've all heard the first single, but we want to hear a little more. Give us a taste of what else we can expect. This will give people more of an idea of what the overall album will sound like and they'll have more of an idea if they'll like it or not.

That's all from your sarcastic/cynical friend for now. I hope we all learned something. In other news, I totally downloaded the new Cartel CD. But more on that later...

Let's Get Awesome and Live

There are a number of types of buzz that build around bands and how they cross into the mainstream, let's examine this shall we.

1) Initial major label backing stirs up enough buzz for a band's debut to have respectable first-week sales. This is usually done by pushing the first single hard at radio way before the disc is released. The problem with this method is that, in this day in age, radio just doesn't have any pull. People now have the opportunity to get music from so many other places: friends, myspace, free p2p programs. And, with radio sucking an uncircumsized penis, it's not like many people sit around thinking "Wow, I want to hear some new music. Let's turn on the radio so I can hear dipshits talking in between songs, commercials with car salesman yelling at me and the same song played 50 times a week." I was alive in the tail end of this era. A lot of the post-grunge bands were able to have initial success with this method. Puddle Of Mudd, Fuel, The Vines are a few that come to mind. The problem is that when your first exposure to EVERYONE is only on the radio, you have no fans, just people who like your song. Once the hits stop coming, the people dissapear. Puddle Of Mudd went something like 3x platinum with their debut. Do you think they could sell out Irving Plaza (1000-capacity venue in NYC) today? Probably not.

2) The Hype Machine. With radio declining, in the early millenium we saw every magazine from NME and Spin hyping the latest batch of skinny pale white guys, all usually looking like they'd rather be taking a nap than playing music. You remember 2001/2002 right? The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, The Huge Vaginas (ok, I made the last one up, but now some dork is probably going to read this and use that as his band name). Anyways, in this era, with nu-metal, pop-punk and radio-friendly post-grunge being at the forefront, it was seen as "cutting edge" to rip off the 60's/70's than the early 90's. While I can admit the sound was refreshing, and The White Stripes are still badass even to this day, it wasn't going to last because they just weren't connecting with their audience. Also, do you really have fans or do you have people who want to feel enlightened and be into the "acclaimed" bands? The Strokes still haven't put out a record that sold as well as Is This It? The Vines, The Hives, The Von Blondies, where are they? The hype machine is much like the radio machine. It will build you a ton of initial buzz but when the fad's over, so is the ride. You think people will still give a shit about The Arcade Fire in 4 years? Not reallly. Sure, they will still have fans since they did have an established fanbase, but they were never meant for the mainstream. They're at their peak now and will only go down from here.

3) Tour in a shitty van for 4-5 years, build yup your fanbase and let the mainstream come to you. Bands like Death Cab For Cutie weren't seeking out rock stardom. No, they just wrote their quirky little pop songs and more and more people bought each disc that came out. Soon enough, TV shows took notice, and major labels were offering to do back flips off skyscrapers to sign them. Yes, their major label debut didn't blow up the world, but they have a fan base and will be able to continue comfortably for as long as they like. Fall Out Boy has a similar story as well. They toured in a shitty van, graduated to a tour bus and kept playing these small clubs, getting more and more kids talking about them on the internet after each show. They also made a point to embrace the new technologies by keeping in touch with their fans through postings on their MySpace, LiveJournal, web site and making the kids feel like they were A PART of something. They weren't the pretentious indie rockers you feel not worthy of talking to because you didn't listen to The Velvet Underground growing up, they were on your side. And people WANT that. Sure, now they play huge arenas and maybe their fanbase has shifted towards more mainstream listeners but that's still ok. People connect with this band and, even if they aren't playing arenas forever, they will always have people coming out to see them.

This brings me to what this post was really about. Motion City Soundtrack. I've had the pleasure of seeing them numerous times and I've watched them continue to grow and grow. A few days ago I saw them at the Grammercy Theatre here in Manhattan (er, that's the Blender @ Grammercy Theatre now I guess). Show sold out in a few days. Wait, no radio single? No problem! Their quirky lyrics, addictive melodies, upbeat moog-inspired sound have kids in love with this band. Their third release, coming out on Epitath records, will be out in September and if I had to bet my life savings on it (not much money mind you), the release after this one will be on a major. They have a fanbase, you ALREADY HAVE A BUILT IN AUDIENCE! There's no need for NME to be sucking them off because people KNOW about them and WANT to know more. Do your self a favor and check them out if you've been living under a rock and don't know them: http://www.myspace.com/motioncitysoundtrack . Something tells me that this past week was the last time I'll be seeing them in a small club for a while...

When You Were Young....

Welcome to Overstimulated and Jaded. Yet another boring music blog where the author (yours truly) talks about new CDs and shows while putting a cyncial spin on everything. Yep, what would a music blog be without whoever is writing it trying to prove to you that he/she has a good sense of humor and is "in-the-know."

So, before you ask yourself "Why am I reading this?", to which we already know the answer is "because I'm bored at work/school or want to hear what a 23-year-old that lives in Hell's Kitchen thinks about the new CD" perhaps you'd like to read about my credentials (or lack thereof).

Most of us music junkies like to think of ourselves as outsiders. After all, that was the main principle of Rock N' Roll to begin with, right? Rebellion kids. It's fun (and easy to package and market to yo' bitch asses), but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. These days, it's really hard to claim to be an outsider. Sure you can tell everyone you're a "lonely soul" who's "going it on their own" but then you go home, fire up that buddy list with over 150 people on it, update your MySpace profile, post on people's walls on facebook, text message not-so-subtle inside jokes to your friends, etc. Let's face facts here, we all conform by trying not to conform and I'm really no different from the rest.

I grew up in the wealthy suburbs of Manhattan (Darien, CT to be exact). For as long as lived, music was always my passion. There was always a song stuck in my head for as long as I can remember. I'd love to tell you that the VERY first bands I listened to were cool with lots of cred but let's be serious here. You can dig up a picture of me in old photo albums wearing a New Kids On The Block t-shirt that's so large it covers my knees. When I was a baby my father used to put on Michael Jackson's Thriller and swing me around. It's no suprise that he was my first obsession as a child. In fact, at age 23, I still put on his stuff from time to time and am amazed at how awesome it sounds (and no, I'm not being ironic). C&C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, oh yeah, I had those tapes, records even. The first CD ever given to me was Michael Jackson's Dangerous. That was also the same Christmas I got my first "boom box" (for any youngins reading, back in the day we didn't always have iTunes to play music on, so getting something that had a CD player, tape player and AM/FM radio all in one to have IN YOUR OWN BEDROOM SUCKA was pretty neato).

Around 1993 or so (holy shit this post is going to be long), I was crossing over from Michael to the Alternative Rock craze. Z100, which was actually a CHR/Top 40 station but had leaned very heavily to "alternative" was playing Pearl Jam and Nirvana none stop. The first CD I actually went out and purchased in my life was Pearl Jam's Ten from the now defunct chain store known as The Wall. Come to think of it, my Ten CD still has "The Wall lifetime guarantee sticker on it." Why'd those bastards have to all go-out-of-business, I need a replacement now, damnit. Anyways, I still think that 'ish owns. I began to buy mostly what MTV and radio were feeding me: Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Collective Soul, Candlebox, Green Day, Offspring. At first I was drawn to the more melodic bands with classic rock styling. Meaning, I dug Pearl Jam more than Nirvana. However, it was Nirvana that inspired me to learn guitar. I still remember the day I mastered the "Teen Spirit" solo in my little basement bedroom. I subscribed to Guitar World and would stay up late learning the new jams of the time. I quickly became "that guy" at any party who could play almost any requests on whatever shitty acoustic guitar the host had laying around.

In 1996 I finally was about to go to my first concert. Smashing Pumpkins were not only the biggest band in the country but my favorite band. I had all their CDs, singles, b-side collections, imports, etc. Also, it was at the "world's most famous arena" Madison Square Garden. Can you pick a better first place for a concert? Ok, yeah, probably, but stop ruining my moment. God, The Devil, Buddah, Allah and all the other higher powers that don't really exist had other plans in mind for those Pumpkins though. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the night before my show and, due to a drug overdose, the touring keyboarding was found dead and the drummer was promptly fired from the band. I would still get to go to the post-poned show in September on a schoolnight nonetheless (thanks Mom & Dad!) My friend Andrew, who played bass at the time, and I, literally, played air guitar/bass to "Today". When I say literally, I mean we had the correct fingering positions and everything. I don't think I've ever seen my father more embarrased (who probably would have let us go by ourselves if he didn't have to drive us).

As I grew up I started going to more and more shows and my music tastes expanded. I checked out each new trend in the rock scene, though I was always a little slow on what the critics loved. I didn't get The Strokes when they first came out yet I thought The White Stripes were dope as hell (hey, this is my blog, I can use cheesy slang whenever I want). I wasn't punk enough for my punk rock friends since I would listen to Korn and System Of A Down. I wasn't "hard enough" for my hard rock friends since I listened to Coldplay, Green Day and Third Eye Blind. I certainly wasn't normal enough for my casual music listener friends since I liked Tool, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. All mainstream bands but with eccentric music.

College expanded my tastes even more as I began to see just what it was these critics were talking about. I started listening to more bands like Interpol, The Hives while getting into more post-punk/screamo/emo/whatever-the-fuck-its-called with Circa Survive, Say Anything, Mars Volta. One thing that's remained in tact is that, no matter what I do, I can't seem to shake the fact that I love pop music recorded with slick production. I still love stuff like Fall Out Boy. Always will. Green Day will forever be one of my favorites.

The indie crowd won't ever really take me in and that's fine. Maybe the bands they listen to are more accomplished musically, but what it boils down to is that I listen to music for expression of emotions. Sure, guitar solos and interesting rhythms are great, but if it makes you feel nothing, it's just not worth it.

To date, I have seen over 400 shows, seen many bands numerous times. I still buy a great number of CDs and almost always can be found listening to new music. Am I cool? Not in the slightest. Still, I want to write this blog mostly for myself to collect my thoughts on shows/CDs/music industry issues/complaints. If other people dig it, that's cool. If they don't, I'll still be entertained.