Revelation Blues

The statement “If music isn’t revelatory, its shit” came to me today.  I’m a fan of critical thinking and started to tear this idea apart.  Do I really believe it?  Was this just my inner Lester Bangs coming out.  I’m not sure, but it feels good believing in it actually.  Letting that be my measuring stick when I listen to new music.

Let me say I enjoy mindless music from time to time.  Some may argue the validity of AC/DC with me.  I’m sure my statement can be debated.  This is the question I keep coming back to.  Are your favorite songs, I mean the one’s that hit you in all the right places, some schlocky dance number?  Or is it something that you connect with on an emotional level?  Something that you feel as part of your core?

The songs that are remembered are those songs.  Songs that reveal some truth about the artist and ourselves.

What is that song for you?  Let me know what you think. 

For me its Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones.”  I’m cringing as I write this since I was there for the MTV explosion of fake dreds and serious super heavy mothertrucker rotation.  Its not even my favorite song from them musically.  That would be something off “Recovering the Satellites.”  Possibly “Catapault” or “Mercury.”  Which “Catapault” is almost like what happens after “Mr. Jones.”  Go listen to them back to back to see what I mean.  The lyrics from “Mr. Jones” are it though, pure revelation.  I knew exactly what Duritz meant when he sings “When everybody loves me, I’ll never be lonely” and “I wanna be Bob Dylan.”

The question I ask myself now is what does this mean for my band.  We definitely have some songs that are revelatory.  We have others that aren’t.  What do we do with this information?  Time to percolate.

Music, You Wayward Soul

Before I picked up the guitar, I was a fan of music on the level that it permeated everything I did.  I had an infinite playlist running in my head long before the age when you could have an infinite playlist running on your smartphone (or first generation iPod for that matter).

I miss music before American Idol and Glee.  I don’t care how good Glee is, its a fuckin parasite on anything artistic in music.  I want to discover music by buying used records for cheap down in Greenwich Village.  Laying on my bedroom floor next to my stereo, looking at the cover, reading the liner notes.  I want to put headphones on and hear some musician make a masterpiece expressing the existential nature of existence.  Today’s episode is brought to you be the letter “E” apparently (read the last sentence again).

Buying albums became a way for me to explore music made before my time.  Neil Young, Derek and the Dominos, the Allman Brothers Band.  “I hit the city and I lost my band.”  What in the world did he mean?  Interpretations can be endless when you don’t have a clue.  Which is part of the journey.  Learning which leads were Duane’s, which were Dickey’s.  Hearing Duane’s glissando slide work on the Layla outro.

Digital distribution makes music feel worthless.  It feels as if I’m downloading a copy of art, not actual art.  This angers me, saddens me.  I know its being a Luddite, its old fashioned, its whatever you want to call it.  The format likely matters less actually.  Its the music itself.  I want music to be so good again that I want to lay on my floor and discern its meanings, and connect it to my life.  Everything is a single.  Where are the great rock albums?  The ones that you would listen to over and over.  I placed hope in “Backspacer.”  That was a terrible miscalculation, sorry PJ.

I want music that’s so great I’ll add it to the infinite playlist running in my head.

Let’s Skip the Formalities…One Big Mistake

I’m Matt, guitarist for 7 Years Today.  We’re a modern rock band in Central Texas.  I happen to think we’re pretty good, but of course I’m partial.  I’ve always been a fan of writing, so what the heck.  Let’s give this a go.

On our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/7yearstoday) a poll was put up asking which cover is your favorite.  The choices are: In the Air Tonight, Turn the Page, or Simple Man.  The first two (and only as of this writing) comments discuss our cover of “Billie Jean.”

This made me laugh because it reminded me of how big a mistake I made about this song.  Brad (to whom the credit deserves) played the Chris Cornell version of the MJ song.  It sounded good in a slow, everyone stands there and waits for the next upbeat song kind of way.  I can’t say I put the kabosh on the idea, but I guess I do hold some sway in how things get prioritized.

We had a private party to play in which it turns out the guest of honor is a huge MJ fan. I acquiesced and said let’s give it a shot.  Now Brad had already made the point that with Mylon’s voice and my bluesy guitar work, he can hear us doing something really cool with it.  Points to Brad for playing to a guitarist’s ego by the way. 

Reaction has been extremely positive as this has become a staple when we play cover songs.  Yes, its slow, its moody and dark.  It’s also powerful and somehow feels like it transcends its slow tempo. When I hit the first chord in the pre-chorus, it feels like razors cutting through a haze.

In Buddhism, there is this thing called the “Beginner’s Mind.”  Essentially, it’s the idea of walking into every experience as a novice, filled with wonder and without complexities.  This song reminds me of that in some way.  Sometimes you have to get past the analysis and over-analysis of cover songs and just give a song a shot.