Pop Musicology - "The Second Drummer Drowned"

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Pop Musicology - October 2007

Suede

October 25th 2007 21:30

Suede

Suede were one of, if not, the most popular and influential English rock bands of the early to mid 90's.

As one of the bands that helped kick start the Britpop movement, the band were hugely popular at home in the UK, Asia and Canada although success in the US were pretty hard to come by throughout the life of the band.

Their first album self-titled Suede combined the vocal and guitar talents of front man Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, culminating in a Mercury Prize win in 1993.

In 1994, work on a new album had started and the first single from that album, "Stay Together" charted at No.3 on the UK music charts. As the band's profile grew, so did tensions within the camp which eventually led to the departure of the talented Bernard Butler.

Critics were quick to write obituaries for the band after the departure of the influential songwriter but Brett Anderson remained as determined as ever to carry on the early success of the band by recruiting two new members, guitarist Richard Oakes and keyboardist and backing vocalist Neil Codling.

The band's 1996 album Coming Up proved to be the band's most successful mainstream effort, reaching No.1 on the charts and spawning five top 10 singles including "Trash", "Filmstar", "Beautiful Ones", "Lazy" and "Saturday Night".

The band's last three albums, Sci-Fi Lullabies, Head Music and A New Morning failed to capture the success of previous albums due to the waning popularity of Britpop. The band soon separated with Anderson's famous last line at the band's final concert at London's Astoria in December 2003: "See you in the Next Life".

Suede Discography:

Suede (1993)
Dog Man Star (1994)
Coming Up (1996)
Sci-Fi Lullabies (1997)
Head Music (1999)
A New Morning (2002)
Singles (2003)

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Posted By: Arnold - Category: Article

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Finally! Led Zeppelin catalog open to digital downloads

October 17th 2007 02:42

They may be one of the most influential and notorious rock bands in the history of music, but Led Zeppelin has been holding out the lead from the new world of digital music.

Well, no longer! Coinciding with their reunion concert (which sold out in around 20 minutes at astronomical prices), the band has signed a contract allowing their entire music catalog to go digital.

That's a whole lotta music... they put out 8 albums, all of which made the US Billboard Top 10 at some point in time.

'Snort!', you're snorting in contempt, 'I've already got Led Zep tracks on my computer...'

True, but those files that you're listening to are, technically, illegal. With this new agreement, you're finally free to go on iTunes and download 'Dazed and Confused' and listen to it over and over in your cubicle.

And finally, finally!, you'll be able to download a Led Zeppelin ringtone for your phone. You'll be able to serenade your fellow train-commuters with a loud, bleepy rendition of 'Black Dog', which you'll let repeat, since you love it so damn much.

Finally!

People are talking about a Led Zeppelin world tour, which will be tough work, considering the Zeppeliners are essentially geriatrics. No word on whether or not the rockers will combine the concert with an early-bird dinner, followed by some friendly hands of bridge.

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Posted By: Cibbuano - Category: News

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Radiohead asks you to decide the price of their new album

October 9th 2007 18:45

Radiohead is doing something wild for their newest album, In Rainbows.

You go to the website.

You download the album. You listen to it.

Then you pay how much you think it's worth. Nothing? Fine, pay nothing.

It's astounding, and, as far as I know, the only 'big-name' act to shuck away the briny suckers of the record labels and do it their way. Total creativity, asking only for donations. As the post on The Sound of Young America notes:

"We don't yet know if the files will be DRM-free, but imagine people putting all their creative efforts into the creation of sound -- then giving it away without restriction, and asking only for donations in return. Throwing their work out into the digital ether without promise of compensation. Rolling the dice and feeding peoples ears (and minds) without certainty of feeding their own mouths."

As a once-lucid Courtney Love noted (after her PR people edited the document, I'm assuming. Have you ever read the posts that she writes herself?), musicians make almost nothing after expenses and fat-cats are paid out. Also read The Problem with Music.

Perhaps this is a better way to make a living, as an artist, than relying on the promotional car wash that the major records labels put out.

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