MOG - super-chris's Posts

Life changing events

super-chris — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:59:08 GMT

Something to Write Home About by the Get Up Kids is one of my "life changing" records. I remember the first time I heard it - In a friend's car, and a third friend had just bought it and put it in the stereo. The life, emotion, FEELING of the album had me completely engrossed, enraptured. I couldn't stop listening. The very next day, I took off down to HMV (the only record store out here in the 'burbs). Of course, it's not there. I gotta make a trip to one of the "indie" record stores apparently, down in the city. So I do. And I listened to the record day and night for 2 months. To this day, listening to "I'm a Loner Dottie; a rebel brings up strong reminder of the feeling I got when I first heard the song.

Are we Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now?? By .moneen. is another. On a bus on the way to school, stopping at HMV (again) to pick up the record on a friend's recommendation. And it held my complete attention for the better part of an hour. Never before had I heard such a combination of powerful rock with these crazy melodies and harmonies, not to mention the SHOTS! Shots everywhere! Where had .moneen. been all my life?

So lets hear it - what are your life-changing records? What records give you that feeling that only music can do - make you sit up and take notice, give you goosebumps?

Why? someone please tell me....

super-chris — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 09:52:05 GMT

What is it about pitchfork that everyone seems to love? I'd say I disagree with 85% of what they say. Why is it so revered? WHY?

High Noon at the OK Corral

super-chris — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:29:05 GMT

Some may have heard of the recent closing of V2 records, as well as the major reorganization at EMI. Both of these developments are victims of the current state of the industry, although I have little (none) sympathy for record labels - they had their 30 years in the sun while they milked music lovers for every penny they have. More importantly though, this could be a sign that the industry has finally reached the "tipping point" that insiders have been ranting about for the last 2-3 years.

Don't think for a second that these label issues are small - V2 was the label home for the Alkaline Trio, Deus, Elbow, Grandaddy, Josh Ritter, Moby, Stereophonics, Raconteurs, and the White Stripes (too name a few).

In my opinion (and this is my opinion), this is an example of the obsolesence of the Record Label in today's musical landscape. The intangibles that used to make a label so powerful were simple - Distribution, and Promotion. They had the infrastructure to get your record in stores. and they had the means to get it heard on radio/tv/whatever.

Now? Musical acts are broken more and more frequently with online presence and touring. As everyone here probably agrees, radio is dead. And when was the last time you happened to turn on MTV and saw a (heaven forbid) music video?

And distribution? The internet killed that label stronghold. A good band with a good manager can be just as successful as when a major label is involved, often because the manager will be more devoted to the act, will put more time in. And, both parties are thenn splitting 100% of revenues instead of giving the label the first 90%, and trying to make a living off the remaining 10% - but only after paying out for all of the costs of the production, marketing, and any other cost the label wants to charge to the artist. The artist doesn't see ANY revenues until all these costs are paid out of their 10%. The label has recouped 9 times over before they claim that the artist has fully "recouped." Now I'm ranting - I'm sure many of you know about this already. It just angers me as a musician, and music listener; but I digress.

This brings up an interesting side note - if you truly want the artists you love to survive - hope for the death of the label. No joke - artists marginal revenues are 5 to 10 times HIGHER without a label than with one.

But back to the point at hand; is this a case of mis-management? A once strong label unable to control costs in the face of diminished sales and increased consumer power/control? Or is this an inevitable occurance that is going to occur with increasing frequency over the next few years? Or both?

Thoughts?

What next?

super-chris — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 21:24:47 GMT

Allow me to express my extreme happiness and excitement. Seriously - what next? too bad it only comes in 4 and 8 gb models for now....

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2007/01/20070109135244.shtml

2006 Recap

super-chris — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 18:33:11 GMT

I'm pretty new here, so I figured a good way to dive into both this whole mog thing as well as the New Year would be to recap 2006's musical events.

Top 5 Concerts 1.) Moneen, April 2006, Croatian Cultural Centre, Vancouver, BC. Moneen opened for Saves The Day at this show. But it should have been the other way around. Moneen owned the stage and the crowd for their 40 minute (or so) set. The tiny pause in "life's too short" is possibly my favourite single moment in a live show ever.

2.) Death Cab For Cutie, August, Some Winery outside of Eugene, Or. That's right, the show was at a winery. And it was amazing. Starting off the show with 405, and transitioning into "your heart is an empty room" was fantastic. Having Mates Of State onstage to sing the backups in Transatlanticism was killer too. Awesome show.

3.) Tom Petty, July, White River Amphitheatre, outside Seattle, Washington Tom Petty is one of my all time going back forever favourites. And so I knew this show would be great. But having Eddie Vedder and Stevie Nicks onstage was awesome too. Great times.

4.) Sufjan Stevens, October, St Andrews Cathedral, Vancouver, BC Sufjan played in a cathedral. Sonically it was amazing. Throw in the costumes - they were wearing butterfly or fairy or bird wings - and you've got a pretty unique show on your hands.

5.)Elton John, September, GM Place, Vancouver, BC This show was made great by Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. Without that song, it would have been a good show. A very good show. But that song made it great.

Top 5 Songs 1.) Jesus Christ - Brand New 2.) The Day No One needed to Know - Moneen 3.) Running Out - Mates of State 4.) Don't Know Why - Saves The Day 5.) Day Old Hate - City And Colour

Top 5 Albums 1.) Brand New - The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me 2.) Moneen - The Red Tree 3.) Alexisonfire - Crisis 4.) Saves The Day - Sound the Alarm 5.) Tragically Hip - World Container

And I think that's about it. There's a lot of crossover - Moneen, mostly. Mates of State I discovered at the Death Cab concert. Brand New would be a lot cooler in my opinion if they would play a show in Vancouver for once. Maybe someday....