Happy "would be" Birthday to the late great John Bonham. Without a doubt, he was the greatest drummer of his time and probably of all time. Past, present, and future; the man set the standard on what a drummer should strive for. He wasn't just another supporting party with no say acting as a backdrop for the real band like Ringo Starr. Bonzo had a voice that would greatly be followed by Jimmy Page and had his name on most of the songwriting credits of Led Zeppelin's big tracks. He was loud, he had presence, he had creativity, he had style, and he had incredible skill. I don't see too many drummers like him these days, but his influence is undoubtedly evident. RIP and Happy Birthday to the man, the myth, the legend John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham. Cheers mate.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Happy Birthday John Bonham
Happy "would be" Birthday to the late great John Bonham. Without a doubt, he was the greatest drummer of his time and probably of all time. Past, present, and future; the man set the standard on what a drummer should strive for. He wasn't just another supporting party with no say acting as a backdrop for the real band like Ringo Starr. Bonzo had a voice that would greatly be followed by Jimmy Page and had his name on most of the songwriting credits of Led Zeppelin's big tracks. He was loud, he had presence, he had creativity, he had style, and he had incredible skill. I don't see too many drummers like him these days, but his influence is undoubtedly evident. RIP and Happy Birthday to the man, the myth, the legend John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham. Cheers mate.
#MusicMonday: The 25 Most Ridiculous Band Names
Happy #musicmonday out there to everyone out there on twitter and all the music heads around the world. What are you bumping out there in cyberspace? Leave a comment and let me know! Or hit me up on twitter @markymark925. 
Anyway, in true #musicmonday fashion, let's see whats up with another list. As I was writing last week's article on the 5 biggest douchebags of rock, Fred Durst ran into that list and it made me think of Limp Bizkit and how stupid that name was for a band. Honestly...Limp Bizkit. Let's take a second to think about that and how ridiculous it sounds even letting it roll off of your tongue. Then again, I couldn't expect much more from the brilliant mind of Fred Durst. But reflecting on how dumb that band name was made me think of the other stupid band names that exist out there in the world of rock. I ran along some of my iTunes bands and wanted to come up with a list of 10 that I thought were the worst. However, I stumbled upon a good read when I googled band names in my pursuit of writing my list. This definitely put whatever list I was going to come up with to shame, increasing the list from 10 to 25 and including explanations and history to each band name. This is a funny read and I pretty much agree with the results. Take a minute and check it out HERE.
Ones I especially despise:
Limp Bizkit
Sum 41
Def Leppard
Stone Temple Pilots
Panic! At The Disco
A few missing from the list:
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Led Zeppelin
Strawberry Alarm Clock (*This one especially takes the cake)
What else do you music heads think? Anything Cracked.com or myself missed? Let's hope bands in the future don't do anything this dumb or at least pull the Zeppelin route and back up their ridiculous name with some amazing music. Rock on!
~Dr. M
Anyway, in true #musicmonday fashion, let's see whats up with another list. As I was writing last week's article on the 5 biggest douchebags of rock, Fred Durst ran into that list and it made me think of Limp Bizkit and how stupid that name was for a band. Honestly...Limp Bizkit. Let's take a second to think about that and how ridiculous it sounds even letting it roll off of your tongue. Then again, I couldn't expect much more from the brilliant mind of Fred Durst. But reflecting on how dumb that band name was made me think of the other stupid band names that exist out there in the world of rock. I ran along some of my iTunes bands and wanted to come up with a list of 10 that I thought were the worst. However, I stumbled upon a good read when I googled band names in my pursuit of writing my list. This definitely put whatever list I was going to come up with to shame, increasing the list from 10 to 25 and including explanations and history to each band name. This is a funny read and I pretty much agree with the results. Take a minute and check it out HERE.Ones I especially despise:
Limp Bizkit
Sum 41
Def Leppard
Stone Temple Pilots
Panic! At The Disco
A few missing from the list:
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Led Zeppelin
Strawberry Alarm Clock (*This one especially takes the cake)
What else do you music heads think? Anything Cracked.com or myself missed? Let's hope bands in the future don't do anything this dumb or at least pull the Zeppelin route and back up their ridiculous name with some amazing music. Rock on!
~Dr. M
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Concert Review: ETD POP 2010, San Francisco
Hey what's going on everyone?? Hope all you music heads had a good Saturday night. I certainly did, as I lost my mind last night at ETD POP 2010 in San Francisco. I slightly mentioned it before, but ETD POP is an annual electronic music event that happens in San Francisco usually around memorial day weekend. This would have to be the second biggest electronic music event that happens in Northern California, with LovEvolution (the former LoveFest) being the first. However, this POP was a little different than the previous others. First and foremost, this was the first year that all the acts would be confined to one single stage. Typically is the case that there would be several different rooms (usually 5) separated based on music type; usually Trance, House, Breaks, Drum & Bass, and Hardcore. I guess the money saved on having lesser DJ's to pay was spent on advertisement (saw flyers and billboards everywhere) and the improved stage production. Anyway, on to the show...
As I got there quite a bit later into the show (thanks lazy friends), I missed the sets put on by Dyloot, LA Riots, and Gareth Emery. Dyloot is usually at every San Francisco event as he is a San Francisco native and the main organizer of Skills, so as I've seen him many times before I'm sure to see him again many times down the road. LA Riots, a house act presumably out of LA, I have never seen before so I'm a tad bit disappointed I missed them. Hope to catch some of their live stuff on youtube. I don't know too much about Gareth Emergy, but the general consensus is he is a really great trance DJ on the rise. Hope to see some of him in the future. Getting inside I did notice that the stage production was done AMAZINGLY. The previous year had a rotating stage and looked all nice. 2008 had some great production with gymnasts coming down from the rafters. This year's winner was the incredible lighting, huge rotating DJ stage, well timed fog machines, surrounding dancers placed in the crowd, and bubble machines.
The first act I was able to catch was Steve Aoki. Leading up to this I heard the man puts on a good show and plays some really club heavy house. I have heard some of his studio work as was not impressed at all, but that again that never speaks towards how good of a set they do when they DJ. I'm definitely in the Deadmau5 way of thinking that a DJ should stay off of the mic as much as possible, but clearly Steve Aoki doesn't share this sentiment. The guy was on the mic the whole night shouting out the songs he was playing and then ran around the stage like a madman and shouting lyrics a la death metal to some songs like we were at Ozzfest. I wasn't too big a fan of that but his song selections were on point when it came to the club tracks and he definitely got the mood set off right. I wasn't too big of a Steve Aoki fan leading up to this but I'm warming up to him I will have to admit.
Next up was Boys Noize out of Germany. Again, an act that was relatively unheard of to me until I found out he was on the POP lineup. I didn't really do that much research but I knew he was a house act. I heard his act leans more towards electro house and techno. I really enjoyed this set. The beats sounded great and the transitions were really great as well. I will have to check this dude out some more as he won me over last night for sure.
Next up was the famous Fedde Le Grand out of the Netherlands. The man has been a household name in the realm of house ever since the release of the smash single "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit". I know that he puts on a lot of great sets and has some great house selections so I was really excited for this one and he certainly did not disappoint. Of course he had to throw in a remix of his famous breakthrough single. His DJ work was great with the lighting and the stage. Really great setting for Fedde to put it down.
Next up was the Italian Stallion himself, Benny Benassi. He has been on a roll as one of, if not the leading, names in house music. The man is a pioneer and I have been a fan of his for a while. His set certainly was amazing as he tore through a bunch of hits like "Satisfaction" and "I Love My Sex" along with doing what makes him famous around the world with his DJ transitions, remixes, and song selections. This set was amazing and I wish I could see it in more of an intimate club setting. Great nonetheless!
Next up was my man, voted #1 DJ around the world, Armin van Buuren out of the Netherlands. I have seen Armin various times before at Monster Massive 2007, LoveFest After Party 2008, and once again at Monster Massive 2009. He has never disappointed me in his sets and his song selections. As the world renowned leader of Trance, he hardly ever falters in his reputation, and it is because of sets like this one. Considering the night was more house than trance, I was a little skeptical on how the crowd would react to him. However, he is a master for a reason. His trance selection leaned a little more to the bass heavy and dance side, which got the crowd in right mindset. He threw in a few classics "In and Out of Love", "Zocalo", and "Aisha" nicely remixed and had the transitions and pauses at perfect timing. Stage lighting and everything was perfect as well. One thing that makes Armin as famous as he is, is the interaction with the fans to show his true appreciation. It was certainly hot as hell inside and he was joking around with us on the subject. Smiling, waving, jumping and dancing with the songs; little things like this, without being like Aoki and being all over the mic, can make a DJ a huge success like him. This might have been my favorite Armin van Buuren set I have seen.Last up was Infected Mushroom out of Israel. I've always had mixed feelings about this group. I first caught them at Monster Massive 2007 and didn't necessarily dig their entire live band gimmick while trying to be an electronic music act. While rock and electronic music can be fused together successfully, usually is the case is that a live band incorporates elements of electronic music in their studio production, and not the other way around. Plus, as I said before, I'm not a huge fan about MC's on the mic while dance songs are on. It kills the entire mood of the beats for me and is a huge distraction. To me you have to be on some serious drugs to like this group. I left halfway through their set to avoid as much traffic as I could and simply because they didn't really change my original perspective on them. Not too sad that I missed it. Armin should have closed out but it worked out for me this way so I could leave a little bit earlier.
Breakdown:
Crowd - The crowd responded to the music and DJ's super well. Kept the energy levels high.
Production - The production was the best of any POP I have seen to date. Beside the sound having a few troubles, it was all done very well.
Organization - Beside the super long line to make it to the front entrance, the venue did a good job of organization considering the smaller crowd size (16,000 from 24,000 the previous year) with maintaining things at a good pace.
Lineup - You couldn't really put much of a better lineup together for an event of this magnitude and the time that was permitted. I would have chosen a better closer than Infected Mushroom, but all things considered, the lineup was awesome. Good picks for a night that combined house and trance.
Rating: Overall, this was an amazing POP. Quite a night to remember. I will give this one **** (4 stars).
Scale:
***** - Perfect night. Legendary show
**** - Great night. Very enjoyable
*** - Decent night. Some things were hit or miss but overall fine.
** - Boring night. Not too many enjoyable things at this show.
* - Terrible night. Everything went wrong with this one. Where's the booze?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Random Thoughts 5/28/10: ETD POP, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Sublime
Hey what's up everyone. Hope everyone is having a good Friday out partying. I'm keeping the night chill and sober in anticipation for ETD POP 2010 in San Francisco. For those that don't know, this is the 2nd biggest single day event for electronic music (with the 1st being LovEvolution the former LoveFest). Lot of big names are going to be there like Benny Benassi, Fedde Le Grand, Boyz Noise, Steve Aoki, and LA Riots for the house heads and Armin van Buuren, Gareth Emery, and Infected Mushroom. Me being the ultra electronic music enthusiast, I'm super stoked about this show. Something about these events hold a realness and atmosphere that make me think about what it was like to see a huge stadium rock band like Led Zeppelin or The Who in their heyday. The DJ's hold power over crowds like puppeteers; something that rock bands or rappers don't have these days in the least. Music lovers appreciate a good rock or rap show, but the days of the world being hypnotized by a band the way Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page had a crowd gazing while doing a 25 minute version of "Dazed and Confused" are long gone. Electronic music events are the hype now. The appreciation and hype of electronic music is steady on the rise here in North America and I have my mixed feelings about it. Good for the DJ's wallets, bad for the integrity of the music. That will see its own blog though...
I just finished watching Jeff Beck's Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's on Palladia and I have to say...Jesus F'n Christ what a show. It would not be an understatement to say that Jeff Beck is the greatest living guitar player. Some of the tones and sounds that he created in this one single show was astounding, especially knowing he hardly uses any effects pedals and the same guitar throughout the entire show. For those that haven't experienced the glory that is Jeff Beck, give this DVD a look. This is a cut from that very performance: You'll find that Eric Clapton was on that same number. Which makes this significant since it was the beginning of a rekindling of their friendship and planted the seeds for a tour that happened very recently. Sorry Eric, you are the man, but in terms of dynamic skill and unprecedented virtuosity, Jeff Beck is definitely the outshining half of that co-headlining tour in regard to guitar work. However, Eric Clapton doesn't have anything to prove anymore and does it all for fun as he will pull the BB King and perform until he dies; I have no doubt...
Sublime...oh how the mighty have fallen. If there is one thing worse a band can do beside carry on a band legacy after their famous frontman is out of the picture; is to carry on the band when your frontman was the core of the band and he's DEAD! This is no case of AC/DC. It was sad to see Bon Scott die and have to be replaced by the knockoff Brian Johnson, but the core of the band was not Bon Scott. For this reason, the change was possible due to the band's monster return with Back In Black and Brian Johnson's incredible vocal range and stage presence. In this case, Sublime's entire soul and importance revolved around the creative juices of Brad Nowell when he was on heroin. Yes, I said it. He even said it. He went on a heroin "experiment", and in true druggie musician nature, he fused a few genres together and made it work. Before Brad Nowell decided on it, reggae, punk, and hip hop were not fused in one trio band. His rhythm section band members were good, but did not contribute to the band enough to warrant to carry on the Sublime name in Brad's stead. Now we have Rome Ramirez in the picture; a Nor Cal native (not from from the LBC) younger who liked Sublime's music who has now taken over frontman duties. I find so many things wrong with this, but mostly the original members' intention to carry on the name despite how different the band is. They tried a new band with the Long Beach Dub Allstars but failed and now want to use the Sublime name in this new incarnation as a means to make money and look relevant maybe? Has a slight wiff of Billy Corgan to me (with Zwan and Smashing Pumpkins). Bottom line, bands should realize when to throw in the towel or start something new entirely...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Throwback Thursday: The Eminem Show
Hey what's going on world? Welcome to another Throwback Thursday. Not sure why, but I have been in a big rap mood lately. Not necessarily that today's rap is anything exciting, but I've brought out a lot of my old records and have been reminded of how great rap used to be not so very long ago. One of those old favorites of mine is the album I'm about to review for this week's Throwback Thursday. In the spirit of my man Eminem's new single "Not Afraid" being all over the airwaves (which I've already posted my thoughts on here), I went into a retrospective of the older Eminem records I used to enjoy. This week I chose...
Artist: Eminem
Album: The Eminem Show
Released: 2002, Aftermath/Shady/Interscope Records
Up to this album's release in 2002, there was no sugar coating the fact that Eminem was #1 in the rap world. Whether or not you loved him or hated him, album sales don't lie. His initial breakout with The Slim Shady LP has sold rough 6 million worldwide to date. The follow up (and career peaking) Marshall Mathers LP has sold roughly 19 million worldwide to date. At the time, Eminem had done it all in music after merely 2 major label recordings. He had done world tours, sold millions of records, performed and recorded with huge names in rap, made magazine covers and newspaper headlines, saw his way onto everyone's television set, angered the government and censorship groups, and yet at the same time had music critics eating out of his hand. The question lingered; how in the hell was he going to follow up The Marshall Mathers LP: the album that put his name in everyone's mouth, his face on everyone's magazine, and his status on top. The answer? Perhaps my favorite Eminem album: The Eminem Show. What made this album so significant to me was the toning down of the insane "Slim Shady" moniker he had created for himself. He had already proven himself as the king of controversy and shocked America to death about gruesome themes like drugs, sex, and homophobia. This album went to a great length to give controversy a backseat and show off what Eminem was all along: an artist.
#1 - The Production. How do you prove your critics wrong and show that you don't necessarily need Dr. Dre to be succesful? Produce most of the album yourself; and that's exactly what Em did. With only 3 tracks produced the the Doctor, the rest of the production was handled by Mr. Mathers.
#2 - Lyrical skill. It was mainly shock value in the previous albums. In this album not only does he step the flow up, but he tells a solid story with his rhymes. He stays on theme, his rhymes and metaphors are consistent, and he tells a story in his lines. Much more improved from his previous showcases. I think this album was the one that reminded all of those of losing his rap skills since "selling out" that he was still the skillful rapper that came out of the slums of 8 Mile.
#3 - A more personal touch. In The Eminem Show we catch a glimpse more into a more serious and personal side of Em. The gimmicks and shock value aren't so necessary anymore. He goes into lyrical depth about his childhood, his stance on politics & government, race dichotomy in rap, recent personal events, being a father, and how he has dealt with fame.
All in all, this is a more consistent album and more of a proving ground of the artist that is Eminem. It showed that Slim Shady could evolve and that he wasn't a one trick shock value pony. The end result: another classic album that sold as much as The Marshall Mathers LP worldwide. Eminem could have died out, but decided not to, and The Eminem Show set the stage for the artist that we still know and love to this day. Good job Em. You deserved your success. Detroit WHAT!!
Standout tracks: The whole damn album!
Review: ***** (5/5 stars)
~Dr. M
Scale:
***** - Amazing! Highly important
**** - Great, very enjoyable
*** - Decent, worth checking out
** - Average, not very exciting
* - Poor, don't even bother
Artist: Eminem
Album: The Eminem Show
Released: 2002, Aftermath/Shady/Interscope Records
Up to this album's release in 2002, there was no sugar coating the fact that Eminem was #1 in the rap world. Whether or not you loved him or hated him, album sales don't lie. His initial breakout with The Slim Shady LP has sold rough 6 million worldwide to date. The follow up (and career peaking) Marshall Mathers LP has sold roughly 19 million worldwide to date. At the time, Eminem had done it all in music after merely 2 major label recordings. He had done world tours, sold millions of records, performed and recorded with huge names in rap, made magazine covers and newspaper headlines, saw his way onto everyone's television set, angered the government and censorship groups, and yet at the same time had music critics eating out of his hand. The question lingered; how in the hell was he going to follow up The Marshall Mathers LP: the album that put his name in everyone's mouth, his face on everyone's magazine, and his status on top. The answer? Perhaps my favorite Eminem album: The Eminem Show. What made this album so significant to me was the toning down of the insane "Slim Shady" moniker he had created for himself. He had already proven himself as the king of controversy and shocked America to death about gruesome themes like drugs, sex, and homophobia. This album went to a great length to give controversy a backseat and show off what Eminem was all along: an artist.
#1 - The Production. How do you prove your critics wrong and show that you don't necessarily need Dr. Dre to be succesful? Produce most of the album yourself; and that's exactly what Em did. With only 3 tracks produced the the Doctor, the rest of the production was handled by Mr. Mathers.
#2 - Lyrical skill. It was mainly shock value in the previous albums. In this album not only does he step the flow up, but he tells a solid story with his rhymes. He stays on theme, his rhymes and metaphors are consistent, and he tells a story in his lines. Much more improved from his previous showcases. I think this album was the one that reminded all of those of losing his rap skills since "selling out" that he was still the skillful rapper that came out of the slums of 8 Mile.
#3 - A more personal touch. In The Eminem Show we catch a glimpse more into a more serious and personal side of Em. The gimmicks and shock value aren't so necessary anymore. He goes into lyrical depth about his childhood, his stance on politics & government, race dichotomy in rap, recent personal events, being a father, and how he has dealt with fame.
All in all, this is a more consistent album and more of a proving ground of the artist that is Eminem. It showed that Slim Shady could evolve and that he wasn't a one trick shock value pony. The end result: another classic album that sold as much as The Marshall Mathers LP worldwide. Eminem could have died out, but decided not to, and The Eminem Show set the stage for the artist that we still know and love to this day. Good job Em. You deserved your success. Detroit WHAT!!
Standout tracks: The whole damn album!
Review: ***** (5/5 stars)
~Dr. M
Scale:
***** - Amazing! Highly important
**** - Great, very enjoyable
*** - Decent, worth checking out
** - Average, not very exciting
* - Poor, don't even bother
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Album Review: Distant Relatives
Just a disclaimer to anyone that reads this: before you get any further into this review, reggae is not my specialty! I know who Damian Marley is, but honestly, reggae is not a staple in my music player. Not that I have anything against reggae or I think it's less important than any other genre, I just find a lot of reggae is pretty similar in nature. Similar beats, the same guitar up-stroke, and familiar themes make new songs a tad bit stale to me and leave me feeling like I've heard it before. However, I do enjoy it from time to time. Bob Marley is a music legend; no doubt about it. Now onto the review....
Artist: Nas & Damian "Junior Gong" Marley
Album: Distant Relatives
I'm not going to lie; I checked this album out because it has Nas' name on it. I consider Nas one of the greatest rappers in the history of rap; bar none. He is definitely in my top 5, if not my favorite. He has made some poor business and personal decisions as of late and hasn't come as hard recently as he did in his heyday in the 90's, but his albums are always worth checking out because his message is always relevant. He is one of the last real rappers left. Now Damian on the other hand...I'm not sure. I mentioned I don't really know much about reggae aside from the big names like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and my man Barrington Levy (and the recent uprising of white people doing reggae like UB40 and Pepper), but from what I understand, Damian Marley is one of the popular names that pop up in today's reggae. It is mostly because he is the youngest son of the legend Bob Marley? Possibly. I haven't heard his music before this album, but considering he produced pretty much the entire album, I know he's got talent. That being said, I feel like this would have been better as a Damian Marley solo album. Nas throws in his verses here and there, however I feel the hip hop elements somewhat dilute the soul of the music. The instruments sound great, the themes are loud and clear, and the production is crystal clear for the most part. It seems like the things I like least about each song are Nas' verses that sometimes feel out of place with very reggae/worldly sounding tracks that would flow a little bitter simply with Damian's "singing?" (I don't know how to classify the reggae lyrics). On top of that, Damian's roots are firmly planted in reggae and his productions reflect it, so throwing a few elements of hip hop beats on top of that don't sound like they blend too well. However, considering this album will probably sell better than most Damian Marley solo albums, I can understand why it was done. Nas on the other hand...this makes no sense homie. Unless he was bored and just felt like doing something different. He does have some big child support payments coming up as well. Ya, actually it makes sense now. Overall it's worth a listen if you're a reggae fan. Damian Marley is a really talented producer and musician. I just may check out more of his joints. Bumbaclad rasta!
Standout tracks: "My Generation", "Friends"
Review: *** (3/5 stars)
Scale:
***** - Amazing! Highly important
**** - Great, very enjoyable
*** - Decent, worth checking out
** - Average, not very exciting
* - Poor, don't even bother
Artist: Nas & Damian "Junior Gong" Marley
Album: Distant Relatives
I'm not going to lie; I checked this album out because it has Nas' name on it. I consider Nas one of the greatest rappers in the history of rap; bar none. He is definitely in my top 5, if not my favorite. He has made some poor business and personal decisions as of late and hasn't come as hard recently as he did in his heyday in the 90's, but his albums are always worth checking out because his message is always relevant. He is one of the last real rappers left. Now Damian on the other hand...I'm not sure. I mentioned I don't really know much about reggae aside from the big names like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and my man Barrington Levy (and the recent uprising of white people doing reggae like UB40 and Pepper), but from what I understand, Damian Marley is one of the popular names that pop up in today's reggae. It is mostly because he is the youngest son of the legend Bob Marley? Possibly. I haven't heard his music before this album, but considering he produced pretty much the entire album, I know he's got talent. That being said, I feel like this would have been better as a Damian Marley solo album. Nas throws in his verses here and there, however I feel the hip hop elements somewhat dilute the soul of the music. The instruments sound great, the themes are loud and clear, and the production is crystal clear for the most part. It seems like the things I like least about each song are Nas' verses that sometimes feel out of place with very reggae/worldly sounding tracks that would flow a little bitter simply with Damian's "singing?" (I don't know how to classify the reggae lyrics). On top of that, Damian's roots are firmly planted in reggae and his productions reflect it, so throwing a few elements of hip hop beats on top of that don't sound like they blend too well. However, considering this album will probably sell better than most Damian Marley solo albums, I can understand why it was done. Nas on the other hand...this makes no sense homie. Unless he was bored and just felt like doing something different. He does have some big child support payments coming up as well. Ya, actually it makes sense now. Overall it's worth a listen if you're a reggae fan. Damian Marley is a really talented producer and musician. I just may check out more of his joints. Bumbaclad rasta!
Standout tracks: "My Generation", "Friends"
Review: *** (3/5 stars)
Scale:
***** - Amazing! Highly important
**** - Great, very enjoyable
*** - Decent, worth checking out
** - Average, not very exciting
* - Poor, don't even bother
Monday, May 24, 2010
#MusicMonday: The 5 Biggest Douchebags in Rock
Happy Monday to all the music heads out there! More specifically, it is #MusicMonday. Are you confused as to what the hell #MusicMonday is? Well then obviously you aren't on twitter. However, Monday is a day where for whatever reason, people tweet about the music that they are listening to or whatever music they like. Pretty much just an appreciation for the sounds and beats that they love and want other people to hear. So in the spirit of this, considering this blog already gets an almost daily posting on all things music anyway, I decided to do something special for Mondays. The idea is to make a new list every Monday of something in relation to music. Whether it be a top 5 or top 10, or bottom 5 or bottom 10, it will be new and interesting. Nothing is off limits, so we shall see where this goes. So in the spirit of the new list, here it is...
The 5 Biggest Douchebags in Rock
Although everyone loves music and we're all passionate about what we like to listen to or create musically, some figures in music take it a little too far and believe themselves to be far superior to their peers and fans in the music world. Respect, appreciation, humility, and substance are all missing from figures like this. In my opinion, here are the biggest douchebags of rock and roll.
5. Noel Gallagher
Opinionated snob and a loudmouth to the Nth degree, the older brother of the Gallagher brothers of Oasis has cemented his well deserved spot in rock and roll infamy by his anger filled antics and rants and belief that he is nothing less than the greatest thing to happen to rock (something that all of these men share). Nobody has been off limits to Noel, criticizing his artist peers and even his own bandmates in every way. According to him, nobody is as musically inclined, fashionable, better looking, or as intelligent as him. Sadly his opinions have resonated and his bold statements have actually gained some followers. What's the kicker for me? His very well documented verbal and physical battles with his own brother on and off stage. If even your own brother can't stand you; that is a statement all in its own. As of 2009, Noel Gallagher has quit Oasis because he had the nail in the coffin final fight with his brother that told him there was no place in the band for him anymore. Maybe the world will now see less of him. We can only hope so. In his own words.. "I represent power, musical power. I am fucking brilliant every night I go out there. I could give a fuck about anybody else in the band. They look after themselves. But I am always cooking on a solid eight-and-a-half out of 10." -Rolling Stone. That same interview he said all he wanted out of his most recent US tour with Oasis was 5 million dollars and nothing else. 'Nuff said.
4. Axl Rose
As the frontman of the loud, dirty, and grimey hard rock/hair metal band Guns N' Roses in the late 80s/early 90s he had a reputation for being a selfish bastard with his "don't give a fuck" attitude and easily sparked temper. A Rolling Stone article chronicling the 20th anniversary of the release of their Appetite for Destruction album in 1987 described the band space where they lived before getting signed as a tiny complete shithole with trash everywhere that the entire band shared except for the immaculate private room that Axl reserved for himself. The general consensus: he was a loose cannon with possible bi-polar disorder. After he was so unbearable to be around, Guns N' Roses fell apart as all the band members left...however, according to Axl, he was the band. Guns N' Roses still "continued" with new members and no album for 20 years until Chinese Democracy was released in 2008. Mr. Rose kept fans of the Guns waiting for over 15 years for a complete waste of 70 minutes of their lives that Axl had called "legendary" up until its release. His self righteous antics continue to live on as does his watered down incarnation of the band that made him famous. Really...what kind of a weirdo gets in a fight with Tommy Hilfiger?
3. Fred Durst
If you were in junior high or high school around the time of the nu-metal & rap-metal movements, you couldn't turn on mtv or the radio for 10 minutes without hearing the choppy rhymes of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Clearly nobody loves fame and attention more than this man. Taking every opportunity to get on camera, taking every opportunity to get on magazine covers, talking as much controversy as possible, calling out rival bands on stage, getting in fist fights with fans, spilling his guts to gossip mags about the famous broads he nailed, and still having the nerve to say that the music industry is out to get him and he doesn't deserve all the hate and criticism coming his way takes some serious balls. Does Fred Durst love himself and want the entire world to love him? I don't know, I think the cover of the band's Results May Vary album tells that story. Who names their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water? Fred Durst does, kids. Thankfully Limp Bizkit and Mr. Durst have traveled the downward spiral into irrelevance in the music scene. However, there's talk of a comeback. Please say it aint so. All the rap-metal kids might have to dust off their red Yankees hat and cut off jean shorts for that reunion concert.
2. Billy Corgan
The biggest crybaby in rock, bar none. The dynamic creative musical force behind the alternative juggernaut The Smashing Pumpkins. The only main that has been more psychologically affected by fame more than Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan has always wanted everyone to know that he is not a happy soul. I have my disagreements on how millions of dollars and being internationally recognized as a rock and roll icon could be a bad thing, but Billy never seems to satisfied, and that is the problem. He said his life sucked before hitting it big in music, and then, his life became just that much worse being in the limelight. He has an album called Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness; the album that made him the most money after he was already rich. However instead of blowing his brains out, he decided to keep crying on a larger scale with every album and every interview. However, his crying didn't/doesn't come without a dash of opinion here and there. He believes he is an alternative icon that deserves to be recognized even though the music industry is flawed and fake. Don't get me wrong, the man has more talent in his little finger than most artist these days have in their entire being, but a man who claims so many problems yet is renowned for his difficult nature and self righteousness can't garner much sympathy. If a man can't even have faith in his own bandmates and largely recorded albums himself, there's no need for a band. Cue the solo career. And it's not about the money, yet after an 8 year hiatus keeps the band rolling on with an entirely different lineup. I thought that's what the solo career was for? Something doesn't add up. Could it be that a ticket for a "Smashing Pumpkins" album and tour would get more sales than a "Billy Corgan" album and tour would? A band is more than one person Billy. Get with the program. Unfortunately for him, his mouth and lack of creative steam have caught up to him. The new plan is to release a 44 track new album called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope for free; to be released song by song. Good luck Billy! "Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do,” he says. “I’ve been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am. So all the Pitchforks in the world can try to strip me of every ounce of dignity, but I belong." - Billy Corgan
1. Trent Reznor
Why is Nine Inch Nails called a band yet is basically centered around one person who constantly changes band for live performances and tours? Because Trent Reznor took the Billy Corgan route a little bit further and understood from the get-go that he was a complete pain to work with. Maybe he decided to make a solo project and call it a "band" since it would take more than one person to play his "industrial rock" nonsense in a live setting. Or maybe he didn't want to seem like the only one at fault for creating loud noises and mumbo jumbo. Either way, NIN's success will always be one of the biggest mysteries in modern rock to me. So much so that somehow the band operates now without a record label thanks to their loyal and drugged out fanbase. Kind of like how Kid Rock calls himself "Rock and Roll Jesus". A term like that is simply because Trent Reznor couldn't think of it first. But mark my words, you know he believes it. From his success in the 90's, a well publicized drug habit, and his hard road to recovery...he's wanted to let everyone know that he always reigns supreme and he is "above the music industry." Everyone is fake, music today is horrible except for his, and music is always in a slump until the next Nine Inch Nails album is released. A perfect world for Trent Reznor would probably be a lot of little big haired fat unpopular kids spitting their hate for the modern world and society while filling up his pockets and ego. Lately he's filled his time with creating probably another 8-disc "album" and spitting his hate mongering on twitter. Actually, he "left" twitter because people didn't necessarily enjoy his tweets about how much other artists are inferior to him. The glass is always half empty for this man.
That's all for now. Hope y'all enjoyed it. Did I miss anyone? Am I wrong? Whether you agree or disagree. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks to these guys for showing what a class act in music truly isn't. Til next time!
~Dr. M
The 5 Biggest Douchebags in Rock
Although everyone loves music and we're all passionate about what we like to listen to or create musically, some figures in music take it a little too far and believe themselves to be far superior to their peers and fans in the music world. Respect, appreciation, humility, and substance are all missing from figures like this. In my opinion, here are the biggest douchebags of rock and roll.
5. Noel Gallagher
Opinionated snob and a loudmouth to the Nth degree, the older brother of the Gallagher brothers of Oasis has cemented his well deserved spot in rock and roll infamy by his anger filled antics and rants and belief that he is nothing less than the greatest thing to happen to rock (something that all of these men share). Nobody has been off limits to Noel, criticizing his artist peers and even his own bandmates in every way. According to him, nobody is as musically inclined, fashionable, better looking, or as intelligent as him. Sadly his opinions have resonated and his bold statements have actually gained some followers. What's the kicker for me? His very well documented verbal and physical battles with his own brother on and off stage. If even your own brother can't stand you; that is a statement all in its own. As of 2009, Noel Gallagher has quit Oasis because he had the nail in the coffin final fight with his brother that told him there was no place in the band for him anymore. Maybe the world will now see less of him. We can only hope so. In his own words.. "I represent power, musical power. I am fucking brilliant every night I go out there. I could give a fuck about anybody else in the band. They look after themselves. But I am always cooking on a solid eight-and-a-half out of 10." -Rolling Stone. That same interview he said all he wanted out of his most recent US tour with Oasis was 5 million dollars and nothing else. 'Nuff said.4. Axl Rose
As the frontman of the loud, dirty, and grimey hard rock/hair metal band Guns N' Roses in the late 80s/early 90s he had a reputation for being a selfish bastard with his "don't give a fuck" attitude and easily sparked temper. A Rolling Stone article chronicling the 20th anniversary of the release of their Appetite for Destruction album in 1987 described the band space where they lived before getting signed as a tiny complete shithole with trash everywhere that the entire band shared except for the immaculate private room that Axl reserved for himself. The general consensus: he was a loose cannon with possible bi-polar disorder. After he was so unbearable to be around, Guns N' Roses fell apart as all the band members left...however, according to Axl, he was the band. Guns N' Roses still "continued" with new members and no album for 20 years until Chinese Democracy was released in 2008. Mr. Rose kept fans of the Guns waiting for over 15 years for a complete waste of 70 minutes of their lives that Axl had called "legendary" up until its release. His self righteous antics continue to live on as does his watered down incarnation of the band that made him famous. Really...what kind of a weirdo gets in a fight with Tommy Hilfiger? 3. Fred Durst
If you were in junior high or high school around the time of the nu-metal & rap-metal movements, you couldn't turn on mtv or the radio for 10 minutes without hearing the choppy rhymes of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Clearly nobody loves fame and attention more than this man. Taking every opportunity to get on camera, taking every opportunity to get on magazine covers, talking as much controversy as possible, calling out rival bands on stage, getting in fist fights with fans, spilling his guts to gossip mags about the famous broads he nailed, and still having the nerve to say that the music industry is out to get him and he doesn't deserve all the hate and criticism coming his way takes some serious balls. Does Fred Durst love himself and want the entire world to love him? I don't know, I think the cover of the band's Results May Vary album tells that story. Who names their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water? Fred Durst does, kids. Thankfully Limp Bizkit and Mr. Durst have traveled the downward spiral into irrelevance in the music scene. However, there's talk of a comeback. Please say it aint so. All the rap-metal kids might have to dust off their red Yankees hat and cut off jean shorts for that reunion concert.2. Billy Corgan
The biggest crybaby in rock, bar none. The dynamic creative musical force behind the alternative juggernaut The Smashing Pumpkins. The only main that has been more psychologically affected by fame more than Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan has always wanted everyone to know that he is not a happy soul. I have my disagreements on how millions of dollars and being internationally recognized as a rock and roll icon could be a bad thing, but Billy never seems to satisfied, and that is the problem. He said his life sucked before hitting it big in music, and then, his life became just that much worse being in the limelight. He has an album called Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness; the album that made him the most money after he was already rich. However instead of blowing his brains out, he decided to keep crying on a larger scale with every album and every interview. However, his crying didn't/doesn't come without a dash of opinion here and there. He believes he is an alternative icon that deserves to be recognized even though the music industry is flawed and fake. Don't get me wrong, the man has more talent in his little finger than most artist these days have in their entire being, but a man who claims so many problems yet is renowned for his difficult nature and self righteousness can't garner much sympathy. If a man can't even have faith in his own bandmates and largely recorded albums himself, there's no need for a band. Cue the solo career. And it's not about the money, yet after an 8 year hiatus keeps the band rolling on with an entirely different lineup. I thought that's what the solo career was for? Something doesn't add up. Could it be that a ticket for a "Smashing Pumpkins" album and tour would get more sales than a "Billy Corgan" album and tour would? A band is more than one person Billy. Get with the program. Unfortunately for him, his mouth and lack of creative steam have caught up to him. The new plan is to release a 44 track new album called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope for free; to be released song by song. Good luck Billy! "Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do,” he says. “I’ve been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am. So all the Pitchforks in the world can try to strip me of every ounce of dignity, but I belong." - Billy Corgan1. Trent Reznor
Why is Nine Inch Nails called a band yet is basically centered around one person who constantly changes band for live performances and tours? Because Trent Reznor took the Billy Corgan route a little bit further and understood from the get-go that he was a complete pain to work with. Maybe he decided to make a solo project and call it a "band" since it would take more than one person to play his "industrial rock" nonsense in a live setting. Or maybe he didn't want to seem like the only one at fault for creating loud noises and mumbo jumbo. Either way, NIN's success will always be one of the biggest mysteries in modern rock to me. So much so that somehow the band operates now without a record label thanks to their loyal and drugged out fanbase. Kind of like how Kid Rock calls himself "Rock and Roll Jesus". A term like that is simply because Trent Reznor couldn't think of it first. But mark my words, you know he believes it. From his success in the 90's, a well publicized drug habit, and his hard road to recovery...he's wanted to let everyone know that he always reigns supreme and he is "above the music industry." Everyone is fake, music today is horrible except for his, and music is always in a slump until the next Nine Inch Nails album is released. A perfect world for Trent Reznor would probably be a lot of little big haired fat unpopular kids spitting their hate for the modern world and society while filling up his pockets and ego. Lately he's filled his time with creating probably another 8-disc "album" and spitting his hate mongering on twitter. Actually, he "left" twitter because people didn't necessarily enjoy his tweets about how much other artists are inferior to him. The glass is always half empty for this man.That's all for now. Hope y'all enjoyed it. Did I miss anyone? Am I wrong? Whether you agree or disagree. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks to these guys for showing what a class act in music truly isn't. Til next time!
~Dr. M
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Random Thoughts 5/23/10: Biggie Smalls, DJ's in Rap
What's going on world. Happy Sunday, day of the Lord, if you're into that kind of stuff. Instead of going to church on Sundays I wake up at noon at veg out for another couple of hours before I decide on doing anything productive. As is the case today, except I woke up a few hours ago earlier. Let's get a few things underway that have crossed my mind...
So it's come to my attention (thanks to every rap radio station and music news site) that 2 days ago, May 21st, would have been Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G.'s 38th birthday. R.I.P. Biggie, Happy Birthday and all that. I give the man his credit for accomplishing all that he did before dying at the age of 24. We should all be so lucky to have become a self made millionaire before breaking a quarter century of life. I guess growing up in the ghettos and making a living off of selling rocks sure does something to one's motivation for life success. I also find it a huge travesty that the murders of 2pac and Biggie have not been solved. Everyone hopes that one day they can be solved but let's be honest; if it was going to be solved it would have been by now. One more thing about Biggie: I have a hard time swallowing the hip hop collective's statement of him being a rap legend and a portion of it saying he was "the best that ever did it". Everyone has their own opinions, but to me, a man that made one album called Ready To Die and then the next step in his career was his murder...didn't leave much to fall back on in terms of legacy. He was great yes, he was lyrical, he was a man who was meant for rap, but rap legend? Only time could have told such a story and unfortunately he didn't have enough of it. Where Brooklyn at?!?
Ok, something that has been a thorn in my side for some time and I need to get off my chest...what the hell is up with these DJ's in rap? You know what I'm talking about...those dudes shouting at the top of their lungs all over a song during the intro, midway through, and the end of the song. They're not the song producer, the song rapper, or the songwriter. Let's provide such an example: What in the hell? Yes, my thoughts exactly. For someone who really had no place in terms of song creation, I don't understand where the hell some of these rap DJ's gain a reputation in terms of being "hot" or "talented". I would have to say my main 3 culprits are DJ Khaled, DJ Drama, and DJ Clue. Please feel free to put them on blast on twitter (the links have been provided). Shouting at the top of lungs all over a song isn't talent. I might understand it to make leaking of a single that much harder if they are the promotional DJ doing a world premier (i.e. the DJ last night doing the world premier of Drake's new single on Shade 45), but aside from that, I don't get it. 
The worst part is they are actually getting really rich doing this. How the hell do they do it? Whether it's on their own album or someone else's; it just doesn't make any sense to me. Care to enlighten? Let me know...leave a comment. I really need answers on this one. Do people like this guy deserve to be rich?
That's all for now. Til' next time!
~Dr. M
So it's come to my attention (thanks to every rap radio station and music news site) that 2 days ago, May 21st, would have been Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G.'s 38th birthday. R.I.P. Biggie, Happy Birthday and all that. I give the man his credit for accomplishing all that he did before dying at the age of 24. We should all be so lucky to have become a self made millionaire before breaking a quarter century of life. I guess growing up in the ghettos and making a living off of selling rocks sure does something to one's motivation for life success. I also find it a huge travesty that the murders of 2pac and Biggie have not been solved. Everyone hopes that one day they can be solved but let's be honest; if it was going to be solved it would have been by now. One more thing about Biggie: I have a hard time swallowing the hip hop collective's statement of him being a rap legend and a portion of it saying he was "the best that ever did it". Everyone has their own opinions, but to me, a man that made one album called Ready To Die and then the next step in his career was his murder...didn't leave much to fall back on in terms of legacy. He was great yes, he was lyrical, he was a man who was meant for rap, but rap legend? Only time could have told such a story and unfortunately he didn't have enough of it. Where Brooklyn at?!?
Ok, something that has been a thorn in my side for some time and I need to get off my chest...what the hell is up with these DJ's in rap? You know what I'm talking about...those dudes shouting at the top of their lungs all over a song during the intro, midway through, and the end of the song. They're not the song producer, the song rapper, or the songwriter. Let's provide such an example: What in the hell? Yes, my thoughts exactly. For someone who really had no place in terms of song creation, I don't understand where the hell some of these rap DJ's gain a reputation in terms of being "hot" or "talented". I would have to say my main 3 culprits are DJ Khaled, DJ Drama, and DJ Clue. Please feel free to put them on blast on twitter (the links have been provided). Shouting at the top of lungs all over a song isn't talent. I might understand it to make leaking of a single that much harder if they are the promotional DJ doing a world premier (i.e. the DJ last night doing the world premier of Drake's new single on Shade 45), but aside from that, I don't get it. 
The worst part is they are actually getting really rich doing this. How the hell do they do it? Whether it's on their own album or someone else's; it just doesn't make any sense to me. Care to enlighten? Let me know...leave a comment. I really need answers on this one. Do people like this guy deserve to be rich?That's all for now. Til' next time!
~Dr. M
Friday, May 21, 2010
Dr. M's Diagnosis On: Sean "Puffy/P. Diddy/Diddy/Dirty Money/I'm Rich Bitch" Combs
Hey what up world. Dr. M back at it again on this Friday night. I figured my last post would be the last one of the night and maybe weekend but I decided to say forget it because something came up. And that something was reading this very interesting article on mtvnews.com about Sean "P. Diddy" Combs (or whatever the hell his name is these days). Actually the article was neither interesting or entertaining, but it share a noteworthy tidbit of information: Sean Combs has YET ANOTHER business venture. For those too lazy to read it, he's talking about opening up a management firm so he can ruin more careers without actually signing artists to his label (if its even his label anymore...he keeps selling more ownership as it makes less and less money).
Sean Combs...what a name. Internationally renowned, but then again, for what? The man is a jack of all trades, and at the same token, a jack of no trades. Let's put this into perspective. He is classified on wikipedia as a record producer, rapper, actor, and fashion designer. Now add talent manager to that list as well. Is he really good at any of those? Let's investigate....
1. Record Producer
He definitely deserves his props for lifting Bad Boy Records from the ground up and starting that movement in the 90's. In the mid to late 90's you always heard songs from Biggie, Ma$e, or the man Puffy himself all over the radio and mtv. However, he is NO RECORD PRODUCER. He's an executive producer, entrepreneur, and businessman yes; he has the money and he can make the moves, but him trying to hop in and take producing credit? That's just downright dirty. I'm not talking about how he's always on every song saying his trademark "yea, badboy, can't stop won't stop!" and in every video, I'm talking about actual production credits under "Diddy & The Hitmen". Puffy has never been known for actual studio production, aside from shouting orders at the producers he has in the studio at the time. The Hitmen are the ones that do the actual production work. And funny enough, The Hitmen has a lineup that constantly changes. Is this just Puffy's way to squeeze more money out of all the songs released on Bad Boy Records? It just may be.
2. Rapper
Rapper? Does he even write his own rhymes? His albums have progressively sold less and have been more critically panned with each release and in recent years he's struggling to find his own genre...let's just skip this one...
3. Actor
He's been in a few movies like the sequel to Carlito's Way and he's done a few Broadway shows, but he's far from being recognized in the film industry as an "actor". Good for him for branching out though. Seems fun.
4. Fashion Designer
His clothing line Sean John is pretty popular. I don't wear any Sean John but from what I've read its a pretty lucrative business venture and people seem to like it. Does Puffy actually design the stuff? I'm not sure. He might take credit for designing the Sean John styles just like he "produces" records.
5. Talent Manager
Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj are in for some TROUBLE! They are the first two to sign to his new management firm. Both trust Puffy as a very knowledgeable man and the one to take them to music success. However, should they trust their career to Puffy and put it in the hands of someone who doesn't have any successful artists on his record label? This is the one that gets me. The whole management firm thing is new, but Puffy has always revered himself as a good talent scout and manager. Is he really? I don't know....do the names Danity Kane, Dream, Day26, Donnie Klang, Kain, Black Rob, Mark Curry, G.Dep, Craig Mack, Carl Thomas, and 112 mean anything to anybody? Ya...didn't think so. They have all gone by the wayside after initially having the hype of being on Bad Boy Records and the seal of approval from the man himself. Did I miss any? Bottom line: Every artist Puffy has "discovered" and signed has failed (or died). Ma$e didn't necessarily fail but he quit to become a pastor. Soon as he decided to come out of retirement, Puffy put the final nail in the coffin of his career.
Oh and I almost forgot. He's the spokesman for Ciroc vodka. I'm sure he can put that on his everlasting resume. But let's wrap this thing up....
**DIAGNOSIS: The man is out of touch with the music industry and scrambles for ways to stay relevant. He's good at nothing but average at everything. However, it works. He's a good businessman. That's what he does. People need to stop giving him credit as a "musician" though.
**PRESCRIPTION: Nothing at all. No matter what, he'll do just fine. Cheers Puffy
'Til next time world! Leave a comment!
~Dr. M
Sean Combs...what a name. Internationally renowned, but then again, for what? The man is a jack of all trades, and at the same token, a jack of no trades. Let's put this into perspective. He is classified on wikipedia as a record producer, rapper, actor, and fashion designer. Now add talent manager to that list as well. Is he really good at any of those? Let's investigate....
1. Record Producer
He definitely deserves his props for lifting Bad Boy Records from the ground up and starting that movement in the 90's. In the mid to late 90's you always heard songs from Biggie, Ma$e, or the man Puffy himself all over the radio and mtv. However, he is NO RECORD PRODUCER. He's an executive producer, entrepreneur, and businessman yes; he has the money and he can make the moves, but him trying to hop in and take producing credit? That's just downright dirty. I'm not talking about how he's always on every song saying his trademark "yea, badboy, can't stop won't stop!" and in every video, I'm talking about actual production credits under "Diddy & The Hitmen". Puffy has never been known for actual studio production, aside from shouting orders at the producers he has in the studio at the time. The Hitmen are the ones that do the actual production work. And funny enough, The Hitmen has a lineup that constantly changes. Is this just Puffy's way to squeeze more money out of all the songs released on Bad Boy Records? It just may be.
2. Rapper
Rapper? Does he even write his own rhymes? His albums have progressively sold less and have been more critically panned with each release and in recent years he's struggling to find his own genre...let's just skip this one...
3. Actor
He's been in a few movies like the sequel to Carlito's Way and he's done a few Broadway shows, but he's far from being recognized in the film industry as an "actor". Good for him for branching out though. Seems fun.
4. Fashion Designer
His clothing line Sean John is pretty popular. I don't wear any Sean John but from what I've read its a pretty lucrative business venture and people seem to like it. Does Puffy actually design the stuff? I'm not sure. He might take credit for designing the Sean John styles just like he "produces" records.
5. Talent Manager
Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj are in for some TROUBLE! They are the first two to sign to his new management firm. Both trust Puffy as a very knowledgeable man and the one to take them to music success. However, should they trust their career to Puffy and put it in the hands of someone who doesn't have any successful artists on his record label? This is the one that gets me. The whole management firm thing is new, but Puffy has always revered himself as a good talent scout and manager. Is he really? I don't know....do the names Danity Kane, Dream, Day26, Donnie Klang, Kain, Black Rob, Mark Curry, G.Dep, Craig Mack, Carl Thomas, and 112 mean anything to anybody? Ya...didn't think so. They have all gone by the wayside after initially having the hype of being on Bad Boy Records and the seal of approval from the man himself. Did I miss any? Bottom line: Every artist Puffy has "discovered" and signed has failed (or died). Ma$e didn't necessarily fail but he quit to become a pastor. Soon as he decided to come out of retirement, Puffy put the final nail in the coffin of his career.
Oh and I almost forgot. He's the spokesman for Ciroc vodka. I'm sure he can put that on his everlasting resume. But let's wrap this thing up....
**DIAGNOSIS: The man is out of touch with the music industry and scrambles for ways to stay relevant. He's good at nothing but average at everything. However, it works. He's a good businessman. That's what he does. People need to stop giving him credit as a "musician" though.
**PRESCRIPTION: Nothing at all. No matter what, he'll do just fine. Cheers Puffy
'Til next time world! Leave a comment!
~Dr. M
Random Thoughts 5/21/10: Suge Knight, Drake, Eminem
Yo music heads. Happy Friday! I hope y'all are bumpin' that new Lil Jon on the way to the club later tonight ready to get outta your mind!!! Typically I would be, but I did it a little too big last night for thirsty Thursday. 
So instead I'm going to keep a night in, recover, and maybe do a little blogging perhaps? Sounds good to me. What kinda music do all you music heads bump when you're getting ready before the party, on the way to the party, at the party, at the club, etc etc? COMMENT and let me know! I wanna know what gets the party started for everyone! Since I'm a little hungover and don't feel like properly articulating my ideas, here's some random thoughts for the weekend...
Honestly...Suge Knight facing jail time again is NOT news. The man hasn't been relevant ever since 'Pac died and won't ever be. Although, I can see why he's become a media chuckle. Simply put, finding out the trouble that follows this man no matter where he goes and seeing him down and out broke no matter his various attempts to make it back in the music industry is slightly entertaining. What really won me over is the news of him getting KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT outside of an L.A. club. Ya, nevermind, I retract my statement...Suge Knight is one funny ass bastard. Ride it while you can homeboy!
Is it just me, or is Drake the most awkward, ugly, and funny looking dude in rap right now? I hope it's not just me...but his facial expressions, especially his attempted blue steel on the latest cover of billboard. He may be the most over-hyped rapper in history in my opinion, but he does have some serious rhymes to back it up. However, I can see him getting old pretty quick. Props to him though for turning a not very lucrative career in child television acting into a very successful rap career even without a single album out! In the words of my buddy Schilla, "Aubrey Graham is the truth!"
Whose heard Eminem's latest single "Not Afraid"? I dunno, got mixed feelings about this one. It's decent, its inspiring, it has good lyrics, but honestly...this is the hottest you can come out right before your album comes out Em? Especially the simple fruity loops sounding beat produced by Boi-1da (known for Drake hits such as "Forever" which Em was also on). I know things gotta switch up and you can't drop a comedy single as a lead single for an album every time, but a lot of people were left scratching their head after Relapse came out and I don't necessarily imagine Recovery being a whole lot different if this is the hottest lead off single Eminem can come up with. I think he should stick to Dr. Dre or self produced beats and continue following the formula that made him who he was. I hope this isn't the end for Slim Shady.
...and that's it for my random thoughts for now. More to come later. Hope everyone has a very crunk Friday and good stories tomorrow morning! Peace and stay safe. Cheers!
~Dr. M
So instead I'm going to keep a night in, recover, and maybe do a little blogging perhaps? Sounds good to me. What kinda music do all you music heads bump when you're getting ready before the party, on the way to the party, at the party, at the club, etc etc? COMMENT and let me know! I wanna know what gets the party started for everyone! Since I'm a little hungover and don't feel like properly articulating my ideas, here's some random thoughts for the weekend...
Honestly...Suge Knight facing jail time again is NOT news. The man hasn't been relevant ever since 'Pac died and won't ever be. Although, I can see why he's become a media chuckle. Simply put, finding out the trouble that follows this man no matter where he goes and seeing him down and out broke no matter his various attempts to make it back in the music industry is slightly entertaining. What really won me over is the news of him getting KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT outside of an L.A. club. Ya, nevermind, I retract my statement...Suge Knight is one funny ass bastard. Ride it while you can homeboy!
Is it just me, or is Drake the most awkward, ugly, and funny looking dude in rap right now? I hope it's not just me...but his facial expressions, especially his attempted blue steel on the latest cover of billboard. He may be the most over-hyped rapper in history in my opinion, but he does have some serious rhymes to back it up. However, I can see him getting old pretty quick. Props to him though for turning a not very lucrative career in child television acting into a very successful rap career even without a single album out! In the words of my buddy Schilla, "Aubrey Graham is the truth!"
Whose heard Eminem's latest single "Not Afraid"? I dunno, got mixed feelings about this one. It's decent, its inspiring, it has good lyrics, but honestly...this is the hottest you can come out right before your album comes out Em? Especially the simple fruity loops sounding beat produced by Boi-1da (known for Drake hits such as "Forever" which Em was also on). I know things gotta switch up and you can't drop a comedy single as a lead single for an album every time, but a lot of people were left scratching their head after Relapse came out and I don't necessarily imagine Recovery being a whole lot different if this is the hottest lead off single Eminem can come up with. I think he should stick to Dr. Dre or self produced beats and continue following the formula that made him who he was. I hope this isn't the end for Slim Shady.
...and that's it for my random thoughts for now. More to come later. Hope everyone has a very crunk Friday and good stories tomorrow morning! Peace and stay safe. Cheers!
~Dr. M
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dr. M's Diagnosis On: Ke$ha
Now...I understand pop music. We all should. It should have good production, a catchy melody, inspiring or interesting vocals, and some sort of substance that really makes us feel into the song even though we know it could be about nothing. Pop music used to mean something. However, somewhere along the timeline, it got raped and now we get results like this:
Yeesh! I know we aren't to judge a book by its cover, but I think this picture pretty much sums it all about this particular artist I wanted to diagnose: Ke$ha. A San Fernando Valley native who had her dreams and sights set on music stardom; at ALL costs! Ever since we had the boy and girl band explosion of the 90's, it became pretty apparent you didn't need actual singing talent or skill of any sort to become a pop sensation. Britney Spears broke the mold and let everyone know that any pop sensation dream is possible as long as you have a connected family, good looks, money for a boob job, squeaky clean image, and record label backing. As much as I hate to do it, I have to give Ke$ha a lot of credit for her ability to break all the rules. If you've ever heard a Ke$ha song, seen a Ke$ha video, or witnessed a Ke$ha "performance", you would know that this chick falls into neither category. Except for one actually, and that would be record label backing. The musical bubblegum juggernaut producer Dr. Luke saw fit to give this Tennessee bumpkin (where she grew up) girl an opportunity to be what nobody else could. Simply put ladies and gentleman...Ke$ha: a "pop singer" who has no talented singing voice, no particular good looks, no dancing skills, no connected family, AND happens to present an image to kids of a constantly trashed party girl (which she actually seems to be) shot to #1 on the charts when her album Animal hit the shelves and became an overnight pop sensation. God Bless America. I can't really begin to wonder where to point fingers. Any help? Well my first finger will be pointed at Dr. Luke for giving this chick a record deal first of all. His next strike for me is the niche he found for her using electro-dance-pop beats; using the flawless theory that girls really don't care how bad the music is as long as they can dance to it. I want to say, yet another rape of the electronic music scene for the teeny boppers. Best part of this is Ke$ha's pretty obvious lack of a genre preference. No matter what she could do to make it, she would do it, regardless of substance or class. Let's all get drunk and dance y'all! In her own words "Don't be a little bitch with your chit chat just show me where your dick's at." We can all hope all girls at the club are so intelligent.
***Diagnosis: Delusional! Whack! Crap! Fail! Cancer to the music industry. I'm looking at you too Dr. Luke
***Prescription: Surgical removal. A smack to the face and plane ticket back to Nashville.
Yeesh! I know we aren't to judge a book by its cover, but I think this picture pretty much sums it all about this particular artist I wanted to diagnose: Ke$ha. A San Fernando Valley native who had her dreams and sights set on music stardom; at ALL costs! Ever since we had the boy and girl band explosion of the 90's, it became pretty apparent you didn't need actual singing talent or skill of any sort to become a pop sensation. Britney Spears broke the mold and let everyone know that any pop sensation dream is possible as long as you have a connected family, good looks, money for a boob job, squeaky clean image, and record label backing. As much as I hate to do it, I have to give Ke$ha a lot of credit for her ability to break all the rules. If you've ever heard a Ke$ha song, seen a Ke$ha video, or witnessed a Ke$ha "performance", you would know that this chick falls into neither category. Except for one actually, and that would be record label backing. The musical bubblegum juggernaut producer Dr. Luke saw fit to give this Tennessee bumpkin (where she grew up) girl an opportunity to be what nobody else could. Simply put ladies and gentleman...Ke$ha: a "pop singer" who has no talented singing voice, no particular good looks, no dancing skills, no connected family, AND happens to present an image to kids of a constantly trashed party girl (which she actually seems to be) shot to #1 on the charts when her album Animal hit the shelves and became an overnight pop sensation. God Bless America. I can't really begin to wonder where to point fingers. Any help? Well my first finger will be pointed at Dr. Luke for giving this chick a record deal first of all. His next strike for me is the niche he found for her using electro-dance-pop beats; using the flawless theory that girls really don't care how bad the music is as long as they can dance to it. I want to say, yet another rape of the electronic music scene for the teeny boppers. Best part of this is Ke$ha's pretty obvious lack of a genre preference. No matter what she could do to make it, she would do it, regardless of substance or class. Let's all get drunk and dance y'all! In her own words "Don't be a little bitch with your chit chat just show me where your dick's at." We can all hope all girls at the club are so intelligent.
***Diagnosis: Delusional! Whack! Crap! Fail! Cancer to the music industry. I'm looking at you too Dr. Luke
***Prescription: Surgical removal. A smack to the face and plane ticket back to Nashville.
Throwback Thursday: 5/20/10 Edition
Throwback Thursday? Wtf is that? Let's start this off with a bang. This will be a retro-throwback-oldschool-vintage-aged (or whatever you want to call it) review of an album or band or a reminiscing of a particular trend, scene, or moment in music that takes importance in my mind. So considering it's Thursday and this blog is brand new, why don't we start off with one right off the bat? Let's get right to it....
This Week: The Fat Of The Land (album) by The Prodigy [1997]
Now I was a wee-lad when this album came out, but in terms of groundbreaking discoveries, this is the album that changed mine and a lot of other peoples' lives around the world. When Prodigy dropped The Fat Of The Land in 1997, that year became a big year for the electronic music scene to make its way out of the dungeon basement raves in the Europe and certain sectors of the US and into the mainstream and onto the charts. I want to say this album and Daft Punk's Homework (which also came out the same year and will get its own Throwback Thursday post) were the two driving forces that made 1997 a year where electronic music found their way onto boomboxes (what are those?), walkmans (what are those), and stereo systems around the world. It could be debated forever as to why people were turned onto this album, considering the big beat and hardcore techno movements weren't necessarily new, however this was a big step for Prodigy into a more commercial friendly sound. Their previous albums were pretty much the same genre, however The Fat Of The Land had more "song" aspects than their previous albums had. The songs were structured, they were shorter, they were less ambiguous, they had quite a few vocalists...but the main keys: they were catchy, they had some ridiculously freaky videos, and they were club bangers. Those 3 elements were what really shot them into the masses. Liam Howlett's beats, the genius that he is, rang through everyone's ears yes, but the freakishly looking outfits and haircuts of Keith Flint (main vocalist) haunted everyone's nightmares after watching a Prodigy video. Catchy beats and catchy hooks, cue "Smack My Bitch Up" made something for everyone to request in the club, whether they knew about electronic music or not. I was no exception to that rule. I spent many nights watching the videos of "Breathe", "Firestarter", and my favorite "Smack My Bitch Up" and watching in awe as my musical tastes began to evolve from that point. The mind of a child might be weak, but there was no going back after this point. This album never gets old and to this day, I still hear some of the jams played at clubs and at raves. And guess what...the electronic/dance scene is bigger than ever (expect a post about that in the near future as well). I'm positive that won't change anytime in the near future. Thanks Prodigy...you'll always freak me out and make me dance at the same time.
~Dr. M
Review: (*****) 5/5 stars
P.S. Remember..did I miss anything? Do you disagree? Did you not like the album? Did you really like the album? Leave a comment yo!
This Week: The Fat Of The Land (album) by The Prodigy [1997]
Now I was a wee-lad when this album came out, but in terms of groundbreaking discoveries, this is the album that changed mine and a lot of other peoples' lives around the world. When Prodigy dropped The Fat Of The Land in 1997, that year became a big year for the electronic music scene to make its way out of the dungeon basement raves in the Europe and certain sectors of the US and into the mainstream and onto the charts. I want to say this album and Daft Punk's Homework (which also came out the same year and will get its own Throwback Thursday post) were the two driving forces that made 1997 a year where electronic music found their way onto boomboxes (what are those?), walkmans (what are those), and stereo systems around the world. It could be debated forever as to why people were turned onto this album, considering the big beat and hardcore techno movements weren't necessarily new, however this was a big step for Prodigy into a more commercial friendly sound. Their previous albums were pretty much the same genre, however The Fat Of The Land had more "song" aspects than their previous albums had. The songs were structured, they were shorter, they were less ambiguous, they had quite a few vocalists...but the main keys: they were catchy, they had some ridiculously freaky videos, and they were club bangers. Those 3 elements were what really shot them into the masses. Liam Howlett's beats, the genius that he is, rang through everyone's ears yes, but the freakishly looking outfits and haircuts of Keith Flint (main vocalist) haunted everyone's nightmares after watching a Prodigy video. Catchy beats and catchy hooks, cue "Smack My Bitch Up" made something for everyone to request in the club, whether they knew about electronic music or not. I was no exception to that rule. I spent many nights watching the videos of "Breathe", "Firestarter", and my favorite "Smack My Bitch Up" and watching in awe as my musical tastes began to evolve from that point. The mind of a child might be weak, but there was no going back after this point. This album never gets old and to this day, I still hear some of the jams played at clubs and at raves. And guess what...the electronic/dance scene is bigger than ever (expect a post about that in the near future as well). I'm positive that won't change anytime in the near future. Thanks Prodigy...you'll always freak me out and make me dance at the same time.
~Dr. M
Review: (*****) 5/5 stars
P.S. Remember..did I miss anything? Do you disagree? Did you not like the album? Did you really like the album? Leave a comment yo!
Welcome to the Rehab Clinic!
Hey what up everyone, this is the first entry to what will hopefully turn out as a long lived blog about all things music and my opinions and takes on what is going on in the music industry. Who knows, maybe some other issues will raise up and take precedence over music; i.e. something that pisses me off or something else important going on in the world, but most likely I'll be talking about music 99.9% of the time. This isn't necessarily limited on particular genres either. Rock, Rap, Dance, Pop...pretty much nothing will be off limits on this one. Why did I decide to do this? To be honest, I really don't know. I find myself talking out of my ass half of the time about random music trivia to people who halfway listen or put my random ideas into twitter. Sometimes my random ramblings are too long for twitter, so this was the next step. I also feel like the music industry is in dire straits right now of real music and real artists. I got a lot of knowledge and opinion that I know you are all dying to hear. And if you aren't..well, comment how much I suck. That's what makes America great; you can be glorified for simply talking about nothing. Now that we got that out of the way, thanks for coming along and comment on the blogs you read. Whether you like it or not, agree or don't agree, think I'm full of it, post it in a comment! Hope you all enjoy! Turn the headphones up!
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