Impossible to Prove

I finally got some video footage.

And it was good.

I interviewed Matt Conboy of Death by Audio and the band Sisters. He gave a great interview, and he brought up some ideas I hadn't even considered. He talked about the rock star as an invention (wrong word...maybe impression?) of the individual person. It's true, really, because some kid can watch a local band and see them as rock stars. Then there's the Rolling Stones and Jay-Z. It's a sliding scale, depending on what the individual sees as the definition of "rock star". Is it fame? Money? Or just fucking coolness? Matt also mentioned how sometimes, younger people just think that those who are older are automatically cool. This is true.

So, my interview with Matt basically shows that my topic (which discusses the rock star/musician in relation to new media) makes it impossible to prove anything. I can't have definite answers to whether or not the Internet killed the rock star because, well, how can anyone define what a rock star is? All I can rely on is opinion and speculation from what we have seen from the Internet's effects on music. And, luckily, that's what I'm interested in. Matt gave me a lot of great quotes regarding music journalism, music itself, and the blogosphere.

Now, I just have to interview 50 million more people. And organize it in a lovely fashion. Hoooooraaaaaay!

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Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground <--Hot shit right there.

Two Interviews To Do

I have two interviews that I need to get done. I hope I will be able to this weekend. One will be with Matt Conboy, of the band Sisters, who also is a major part of Death By Audio, the guitar effects pedals factory/music venue. I figured he'd be good to talk to because he and the rest of the DBA boys who work on the pedals use absolutely NO marketing. Their products became popular (with buyers like Nine Inch Nails and Lady Gaga) simply by word of mouth. Maybe he can show the side of the music world that hasn't been brainwashed by new media's dazzling pixels.

Not to say that Death By Audio doesn't have a Web site. They do, and you can find it here. (That's for the effects pedals; to see show listings for their venue, go here.)

Here are some photos of the effects pedals they make (since they silkscreen them and everything, all in house.)

(All photos from http://www.deathbyaudio.net/)

I also spoke with Jamie Farkas during a smoking break at Vice. She works with Vice Records and has a lot to say on my subject. (She did her thesis on The Velvet Underground.) She also recommended a book that the music industry follows like the Bible, much like the AP Stylebook for journalists. I need to get my hands on a copy of that. She said hers is outdated (as it includes tips about vinyl records); I actually think it would be good to look at the older version to get a sense of how things used to be done. But I should also try to get a newer version, to see how things have changed.

I still need to narrow my topic. It's just too interesting to ignore the broader topics! I'm becoming a victim to my own curiosity. It's time to trim, just before the holidays. Woo.

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The Units – High Pressure Days