My thesis keeps evolving. It's no longer just about the "rock star" because, well, there is so much more to talk about. Now I'm getting worried that my topic is too big for my own britches, and that I may only be able to skim the surface of my intended idea. But you know what? I think that's important too. We need to break the surface before anyone can delve deep into the subject.
One book is really helping me formulate ideas about what to cover (and what not to cover) – that being Simon Reynolds' Rip It Up and Start Again, which I mentioned in my last post.
This text talks about a neglected time in music, the post-punk era. It's not neglected in musical interest, but in coverage of it. Reading about this time is forcing me to make connections between what is going on now in the music world and what happened back then. The splits into independent labels, managers, producers, fanzines, etc. helped to vary the market back then, and the same is happening now, but with viral medias. (Think of blogs instead of fanzines, for example.) But, of course, these similarities are formed through different cause/effect combinations.
According to Reynolds, the end of punk/beginning of post-punk led the music world to a sort of "Where to now?" feeling, whether that be of worry or forward-looking ambition. Sound familiar, music industry? Musicians? And as Reynolds says in the Prologue to his book, "The by-product of all this division and disagreement was diversity, a fabulous wealth of sounds and ideas that rivals the sixties as a golden age for music." (pg. 11)
Perhaps the age of the viral medias provides another catalyst leading to this diversity, this "fabulous wealth of sounds and ideas." But I'm not going to argue that today is the newest "Golden Age" for music...yet.
And now a break from serious thought: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – "Young Adult Friction"
And check out another video by the band (also shot on a Super 8 camera) called "Everything with You".
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Book List & an email from my professor
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I asked a professor of mine to help me fashion a book-list pertaining to my project. I was expecting a few suggestions, but I should have known better. He went above and beyond with the amount of material he gave for me to investigate.
Before all this stuff he suggested, I already bought two books:
– Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 by Simon Reynolds. Reynolds is a British music journalist who now lives in New York. He used to be a senior editor for Spin magazine, and contributes music coverage to some of the most revered publications for arts coverage, including the New York Times, the Village Voice, and Uncut. I have only just started the book (literally on page 6, after introductory material) and I'm learning so much. This will be a good read.
– Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. I don't know why I haven't read this one already. All my friends have. They all suggested it. I am intrigued with the topic. Why haven't I read it? Considering that the punk scene effectively did something very similar to what the music industry faced earlier this decade (confusing the market, allowing abnormal, obscure, or extreme music the chance to "make it"), I think it will be a good read.
And now, the email:
Hi Emilia,
You've chosen a massive topic. It covers things like fashion, self-fashioning, technology, role of labels, 'community', to name just a few.
What even constitutes a 'rock star' is a hefty subject.
I've listed a few books and films that might help. I've (over-?)emphasized the role of management, but also have stuff on labels and on the music press.
You might want to use particular bands as case studies.
These days, when so many bands are effectively over before they've even released a record, maybe anonymity is a better (marketing) strategy?
* Andrew Loog Oldham, Stoned [very funny former boss of Stones]
* Johnny Rogan, Starmakers and Svengalis: The History of British Pop Management
* Stephen Davis, Hammer of the Gods [very good on the manager of Led Zeppelin]
* David Cavanagh, The Creation Records Story [very amusing story of one of key 80s indie labels]
* Fred and Judy Vermorel, Starlust: The Secret Life of Fans
* Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming [great punk history]
* Jon Savage, Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture
* Jon Savage and Hanif Kureishi (eds.), The Faber Book of Pop [lots of good essays]
* Lisa Lewis (ed.), The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media
* Caroline Sullivan, Bye Bye Baby: My Tragic Love Affair with the Bay City Rollers
* Julie Burchill, I Knew I Was Right [about the NME]
* Paul Gorman, In Their Own Write: Adventures In The Music Press [role of music press in shaping British pop culture]
* Philip Norman, Shout: The Beatles in Their Generation
* Joe Boyd, White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s [US-born label boss and producer of Nick Drake/ Vashti Bunyan]
* Michael Moorcock, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle
* Ray Coleman, The Man Who Made the Beatles: An Intimate Biography of Brian Epstein
* Andrew Motion, The Lamberts: George, Constant and Kit [Kit was the tortured manager of The Who]
* Rob Young, Rough Trade: Labels Unlimited [key (post) punk label]
* Peter Hook, The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club [New Order bassist spills all]
* David Buckley, Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story [great companion to ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ film]
My favourite:
* Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond [aka The KLF]: The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manual
http://www.kirps.com/web/main/resources/music/themanual/
Watch these:
* Telstar: http://www.telstarthemovie.co.uk/
* Slade In Film:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slade-Flame-DVD-CD/dp/B000NRRWAQ
* Brothers of the Head:
http://www.brothersofthehead.com/
* Velvet Goldmine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_Goldmine
* 24 Hour Party People
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_Hour_Party_People
Good thing I already watched and own Velvet Goldmine and 24 Hour Party People. As for the books, I don't have any of them. Nor can I afford all of them. If anyone has read any of these before and thinks they do or don't fit my subject, please tell me so I can perhaps slim down this plump list of suggestions!
Before all this stuff he suggested, I already bought two books:
– Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 by Simon Reynolds. Reynolds is a British music journalist who now lives in New York. He used to be a senior editor for Spin magazine, and contributes music coverage to some of the most revered publications for arts coverage, including the New York Times, the Village Voice, and Uncut. I have only just started the book (literally on page 6, after introductory material) and I'm learning so much. This will be a good read.
– Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. I don't know why I haven't read this one already. All my friends have. They all suggested it. I am intrigued with the topic. Why haven't I read it? Considering that the punk scene effectively did something very similar to what the music industry faced earlier this decade (confusing the market, allowing abnormal, obscure, or extreme music the chance to "make it"), I think it will be a good read.
And now, the email:
Hi Emilia,
You've chosen a massive topic. It covers things like fashion, self-fashioning, technology, role of labels, 'community', to name just a few.
What even constitutes a 'rock star' is a hefty subject.
I've listed a few books and films that might help. I've (over-?)emphasized the role of management, but also have stuff on labels and on the music press.
You might want to use particular bands as case studies.
These days, when so many bands are effectively over before they've even released a record, maybe anonymity is a better (marketing) strategy?
* Andrew Loog Oldham, Stoned [very funny former boss of Stones]
* Johnny Rogan, Starmakers and Svengalis: The History of British Pop Management
* Stephen Davis, Hammer of the Gods [very good on the manager of Led Zeppelin]
* David Cavanagh, The Creation Records Story [very amusing story of one of key 80s indie labels]
* Fred and Judy Vermorel, Starlust: The Secret Life of Fans
* Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming [great punk history]
* Jon Savage, Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture
* Jon Savage and Hanif Kureishi (eds.), The Faber Book of Pop [lots of good essays]
* Lisa Lewis (ed.), The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media
* Caroline Sullivan, Bye Bye Baby: My Tragic Love Affair with the Bay City Rollers
* Julie Burchill, I Knew I Was Right [about the NME]
* Paul Gorman, In Their Own Write: Adventures In The Music Press [role of music press in shaping British pop culture]
* Philip Norman, Shout: The Beatles in Their Generation
* Joe Boyd, White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s [US-born label boss and producer of Nick Drake/ Vashti Bunyan]
* Michael Moorcock, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle
* Ray Coleman, The Man Who Made the Beatles: An Intimate Biography of Brian Epstein
* Andrew Motion, The Lamberts: George, Constant and Kit [Kit was the tortured manager of The Who]
* Rob Young, Rough Trade: Labels Unlimited [key (post) punk label]
* Peter Hook, The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club [New Order bassist spills all]
* David Buckley, Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story [great companion to ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ film]
My favourite:
* Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond [aka The KLF]: The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
http://www.kirps.com/web/main/
Watch these:
* Telstar: http://www.telstarthemovie.co.
* Slade In Film:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slade-
* Brothers of the Head:
http://www.brothersofthehead.
* Velvet Goldmine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
* 24 Hour Party People
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Good thing I already watched and own Velvet Goldmine and 24 Hour Party People. As for the books, I don't have any of them. Nor can I afford all of them. If anyone has read any of these before and thinks they do or don't fit my subject, please tell me so I can perhaps slim down this plump list of suggestions!
Creating the "line-up" (Part II)
TEENAGERSINTOKYO ARE IN! They have agreed to be a part of my project!
They're an Australian band that now lives in London, so the biggest hurl in getting coverage of them is...well...getting to London. I am planning a trip over the holidays, but I just heard from their manager that three of the band members will be going back to Australia for the holidays.
So my options are:
1) Go to London when I planned and interview the two remaining band members (who are both very nice). Maybe see if others related to the band (manager, press agent, etc.) would be willing to go on camera.
2) Go to London when I planned, and perhaps plan another trip back to Old Blightly when the group is all there.
3) Try to move my plans around so I can go towards the end of my holiday break, which is when, I hope, they'd all be back and playing some shows.
The plausibility of #3 all depends on a trip to India that I am planning. Juggling international traveling can be a huge ordeal, and all I know is that it will mean a tight schedule, lack of sleep, and a shitload of time on airplanes.
In other news, here's one of the band's hits, called "Very Vampyr":
They're an Australian band that now lives in London, so the biggest hurl in getting coverage of them is...well...getting to London. I am planning a trip over the holidays, but I just heard from their manager that three of the band members will be going back to Australia for the holidays.
So my options are:
1) Go to London when I planned and interview the two remaining band members (who are both very nice). Maybe see if others related to the band (manager, press agent, etc.) would be willing to go on camera.
2) Go to London when I planned, and perhaps plan another trip back to Old Blightly when the group is all there.
3) Try to move my plans around so I can go towards the end of my holiday break, which is when, I hope, they'd all be back and playing some shows.
The plausibility of #3 all depends on a trip to India that I am planning. Juggling international traveling can be a huge ordeal, and all I know is that it will mean a tight schedule, lack of sleep, and a shitload of time on airplanes.
In other news, here's one of the band's hits, called "Very Vampyr":
###
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Bands
So looks like I have some cooperating bands! I will be meeting up with some of the folks from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart soon, and I hope to get some good coverage from them. I also recently got some photographs of a live show by A Place to Bury Strangers, so I can post a sneak peak of those soon. And then I am still it talks with a band called teenagersintokyo, an Australian group that lives in London.
Other bands might come into play, and I hope they do. The more points of view I get, the better it will be for the final presentation.
Book list slowly but surely being formed as well.
Other bands might come into play, and I hope they do. The more points of view I get, the better it will be for the final presentation.
Book list slowly but surely being formed as well.
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