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Style Bust searches the web for the latest and greatest trends in music. We hope that you are encouraged to listen to some new artists!
Shout It Out!
14 years ago
Shout It Out, sounds like the commercial for laundry detergent. But the sold out crowd this weekend at House of Blues Chicago were very clear that this had nothing to do with the cleanliness of their clothes. Rather, the overall message for the past couple years of the Hanson fanbase has been about starting a movement and spreading the word.
Familiar with Toms Shoes? Toms Shoes started the One for One movement, where you buy a pair of shoes and another pair gets given to a child in need. I can personally tell you that these shoes are the most comfortable shoes you will ever own. I already have 4 pairs and you can wear them with just about anything.
Back in October of 2007 Hanson went to Africa on a shoe drop with Toms. After the inspirational trip, Hanson began doing one-mile barefoot walks before each of their shows on tour. For each person that registers and does the one-mile walk with them, 1 dollar will be donated on their behalf from Hanson. And you can choose the cause your dollar will be donated towards, whether its building clean water wells, helping with education or providing HIV treatment for pregnant women. This weekend I took my 7th charity walk with Hanson. I find what they are doing to be extremely admirable. Taking the walk is about taking action. After I did it once I was hooked. Taking a barefoot walk is such a tangible thing for me to do and feel like I am truly making a difference. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who feels this way because 500 people showed up to take the walk in Chicago on Saturday. For more information and to find out how you can get involved check out www.takethewalk.net.
*photo by Photo Agency
On to the concert review, I prefer not to share the number of Hanson concerts I’ve been to throughout the past 13 years. But it’s been quite a few so it’s hard for me to write a concert review that can be appreciated by the general population because I will always compare them to so many of the other shows that I have seen. But nevertheless, let’s start with the openers. I love going to Hanson concerts because their supporting acts seem to always be bands that I truly appreciate. So many of my favorite bands were introduced to me on Hanson’s stage and for that I will be forever grateful. Rooney (pictured below) has been supporting Hanson on their first leg and soon A Rocket to the Moon will be on the dates. I could do without ever seeing Rooney again. Don’t get me wrong; I think they have some good things going for them. It’s very guitar based and driven. But the lead singer just needs to be let go; he comes off so arrogant and annoying on stage. I really couldn’t take my eyes off his ridiculousness.
Hanson put together an opening band contest for this tour as well. Each show features a different local band. I love this because it can give so much exposure to the little guys. Friday night was Wes Kirkpatrick. Decent, but it’s one of those bands that would be better off sticking to little coffee houses, because that’s more of their element. Saturday was HappyGoLovely with a Justin Bieber esque but more of a badass with piercings guitar player. Overall the band had a great sound. Fans of The Rocket Summer or NeverShoutNever! will certainly appreciate this band. Afterwards I found out they are from Cedar Rapids, IA. Not too far from my little hometown, I will be cheering this group on and wish them the best of success.
Hanson performing live on Jimmy Fallon
Hanson’s show was amazing as usual. With a catalog of hundreds of songs I’m always eager to hear the set list. Most of the songs they played were from their 5th and newest studio album, “Shout It Out.” (click here to buy it on amazon!) They also played quite a few numbers from 1997 era. And for those of you wondering, yes of course they played Mmmbop. Personally I think the song choices for these two shows could have been better, but performance wise this was one of the best shows I’ve seen in a while from them. If you take anything out of reading my writing on this blog please please pleaseeee check out Hanson. I am confident that you will be pleasantly surprised. Here’s the remainder of their tour dates….
August
19 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
20 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
21 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
23 Cincinnati, OH Moonlight Gardens
24 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
25 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
19 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
20 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall
21 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
23 Cincinnati, OH Moonlight Gardens
24 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
25 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
Leg 2:
September
14 Mesa, AZ Piper Theater
16 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
17 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
18 San Diego, CA House of Blues
20 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
21 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
22 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
23 Seattle, WA The Moore
25 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
27 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
28 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
30 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
October
1 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Lollapalooza 2010
14 years ago
Frankly it’s extremely difficult to wrap up 3 days of Lolla into words, let alone limit my thoughts into one blog post. This was my first year of having the benefit of attaining an all access pass. And I can say that the experience is one that I will not forget but next year you will probably find me in the crowd with the rest of the masses.
First of all I may be one of the very few that say Lolla is completely overrated. I always get excited about the lineup and then once I get there it’s like the festival is so huge, its impossible to get a good spot to see all your favorite bands. It’s a lot more work than it should be. And it’s overcrowded, so to truly enjoy the performances it’s a difficult task. My suggestion is to find the stage that is hosting most of your favorite bands and park yourself there for the entire day. You may miss some bands you wanted to see but most likely you will discover so many new bands that you will be happy as a clam.
I think it’s completely necessary to mention Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero’s. Clearly their following was underestimated, they were put on a smaller stage and their crowd was insanely large. Hands down the best performance at Lolla that I saw. I remember a friend of mine out in LA mentioning a couple years ago that she had met someone that managed a band that had 10 people in it. Her and I had our doubts that such a large band would find success. But as all 10 unique members walked barefoot onto the stage I quickly realized how powerful this band had become in such a short time. Literally, they have a cult following. Other not so surprising highlights of the fest include… Phoenix, MGMT &Arcade Fire.
One of my favorite things to do at Lolla is people watch. Perfect place to look for new trends. I can’t begin to count how many times I saw people in Hunter rain boots… even when there was no rain in the forecast.
These have been around for awhile and I have seen celebrities such as Kate Moss & Mary Kate Olsen rock this style. The trend was in full force at Lolla 2010 – and let me tell you another crazy trend… mom jeans are back. I literally felt as though I should have ran back home to my mothers attic in Iowa – pulled out her old Levi jeans and cut them off. Take a red bandana from my closet and wear it as a shirt.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this can be a hit or miss trend. But by the end of the festival I saw some really great outfits and girls that definitely pulled this look off. These were the essentials for Lollapalooza 2010. I feel as though I may not ever recover from this weekend. Hollywood definitely overtook Chicago and I’m ready to have my city back. I will be at House of Blues all this weekend and look forward to writing about one of my favorite bands here on Style Bust next week.
If Video Killed The Radio Star… What’s Killing Live Music?
14 years ago
Recently I had lunch with one of my old colleagues from Live Nation. Her and I fell into a deep discussion about how the music business has always been evolving and changing, but currently there is a sudden widespread fear and uncertainty about what moves to make next. Live Nation is a powerhouse when it comes to live music; it’s one of the top 3 concert promotion companies in the world. Now after their merge with Ticketmaster they practically dominate (some might say monopolize) the industry. Live Nation however, doesn’t seem to be calling the shots. LN canceled 200+ shows this summer. Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment, Irving Azoff’s plan is to pull the shows so demand can build up again.
Rihanna, one of the many popular artists this summer that has had to cancel tour dates due to poor ticket sales
Today, we have so much music at our fingertips. Hearing Katy Perry’s song, California Gurls for the first time a few months ago, I thought to myself, this is going to be the song of the summer. Radio has played the crap out of this song. It’s now the all-time Mediabase Top 40 Airplay Record holder with more than 13,000 spins in one week. Talk about killing demand. Why would I need to buy this song on iTunes if I can turn on the radio and hear it 9+ times a day? Or watch the video on Youtube? How about making myself a play list on Grooveshark?
CEO of Live Nation, Michael Rapino has said, the average concert-goer attends one show a year. It shouldn’t be this way. In a society where we expect instant gratification, something needs to be done so I can see every band that I want to see live, within the same year. Some blame it on the economy, with high priced tickets and extra fees no one has the money to spend on going to a live show. Hell, I don’t even like to spend 30 bucks to see my favorite band perform each year. So LN introduces deals like “no fee Wednesday” or half off tickets day of show. They want to fill the venue – LN collects some money through concessions and merch. But ultimately LN takes a hit for acts to not play to an empty room and then the artist collects their guarantee. But in order for ticket prices to truly lower the artist has to be the one to take a hit. Some of these high priced acts simply need a reality check.
I’m over the days where I want to give Britney Spears (pictured above) my hard earned money (no offense to my bff who was once on her payroll). My favorite concerts to go see are not in the large amphitheaters, I’m not interested in the overall production. I don’t want to see the same show by Phish or Journey anymore. I want to see the small independent artists. They are playing to a crowd of true music lovers, and the curious passerby that doesn’t mind paying 10 bucks to see some live music. I want to know that when I buy the ticket every dime spent is going towards the band in order for them to continue living out their dream.
To be truly successful a band needs to have longevity and it starts by establishing a dedicated fan base. In my opinion one of the best groups to target is the 16 – 25 year olds, the people that are searching for something to believe in and inspire them. This group can evolve and change over the years with their favorite band. But this group especially can’t afford 40-dollar tickets. I think the wake up call is finally here and change is about to come. In the meantime Via Audio (pictured left) is one of the amazing bands out of Brooklyn that you can see live for 10 dollars in August. They have dates in New York, Brooklyn & Boston. East-Coasters you MUST check them out and tell me what you think!
*images from rslblog.com, leftovercheese.com, totallytheo.blogspot.com, and dailymail.co.uk*
Chicago, Home to the Old St. Pat’s World’s Largest Block Party
14 years ago
On July 9th and 10th, Chicago’s West Loop was jam-packed. Old St. Pats hosted the 26th annual World’s Largest Block Party. It was 40 bucks for admission, a little high for my budget. I was fortunate enough to get to watch it from my apartment window.
Friday night featured Kris Allen and the Barenaked Ladies, apparently a sold out show. I couldn’t believe that people were paying 40 dollars and packed in this empty parking lot like sardines to see a band that legitimately hasn’t had a hit since the 90’s. But it’s a band that’s name is recognizable. The show was rather average, extremely predictable. They played One Week, and If I had a Million Dollars. But the crowd showed up so it was a successful night for the festival.
Saturday night was the White Rabbits and Spoon. There seemed to be significantly less people present. And it was interesting to see the array of people in attendance. There were men in skinny jeans, girls that weren’t afraid to wear colored patterns, truly overall a younger crowd with a lot of style. It was an amazing show. And what frustrated me to no end was… all those people from the night before had NO idea what they were missing out on.
They picked a line up that was familiar when they should have taken a chance. I may be biased because I was a fan of Spoon prior to the show. But here’s the point that I want to get across. I have always been a big music fan, but I have not always been knowledgeable about the industry. I memorized the songs on the radio and took in all the mainstream information possible. But once I was introduced to a few independent bands, this was when my passion truly emerged. It was like a whole other world that to this day I still can’t get enough of. Since then I have made it my mission to spread the word for the bands that have a smaller voice. I have great artists to offer, starting with Spoon, pictured below…
Theophilus London- I Want You
14 years ago
For the past year, I’ve questioned the originality of recent statements made in fashion, music, and art. Moreover, it’s time for an artistic renaissance. As the first decade of the new millennium is ending, technology has been rendered as the vanguard of decade statements. Technological trends have occurred while creative movements are recycled and branded as new for today’s youth.
In recent years, the green movement has not only become a lifestyle, but a trend; which has crossed over from environmental advantages to musical apathy.
Theophilus London, “center of the new urban pop movement”, is a direct example of musical and fashion apathy. His declaration of individuality is derailed through his recent efforts, “I want you,” a song claimed to have been sampled by a vintage Marvin Gaye record. However, evidence from YouTube clearly overrides Londons declaration as he simply raps over the song. No effort (not even a loop) was made to establish his identity and/or aesthetic. And naturally, his classic 80s/90s urban mix apparel: double breast blazers, canvass sneakers, and let’s not forget the wayfarers provide the lookbook for fashion apathy. Need I present more evidence?
However, director, Va$htie, saves London by visually presenting “I want you.” A black and white film shot in intimate locations where acts of intimacy occur- the bedroom, the bathroom, hmm…the hallway.
Va$htie catches the observers eye through the film style, cinema verite, as we watch London revel in the awkwardly portrayed beauty of the actress over candid shots of sensuality.
Yes, we can say Va$htie drew much inspiration from Madonna’s “Justify My Love”, well excluding the elements of bondage, S&M- overall, behavior deemed by society as sexually deviant.
And yes, there is a lack of cohesive structure within the music video given each shot doesn’t blend with the precedent shot or correlate with the climax and unruffled voice of Marvin. But within that, Va$htie beautifully presents images of candidacy with the idea of inhibited sexual desire, which is commonly not represented in urban/rap videos.
While my interests in Theophilus London as an artist are questionable, I’m excited to see more from Va$htie as an upcoming female urban artist. Click the link for Theo London- I want You video
Is culturally influenced artistry dead?
14 years ago
I begin this post by proposing the question-Is culturally influenced artistry dead?
While New York and Los Angeles doubled as manufacture and producer of mainstream trends, Seattle stood alone in creating music representative of its own. Musically discounted by default of geography, Seattle music, art, and fashion display has historically been uniquely defined. By the 1990s grunge music and fashion were catapulted into American mainstream society, creating a ripple effect similar to the rise and fall of an empire.
Mainstream success bought unwanted attention. Unwanted attention garnered cynicism, distaste, and in all things pivotal to Seattle grunge, the death of Kurt Cobain.
As it contributed to the likes of American consumerism, it was subsequently thrown to the side like a trend. Making Seattle based aesthetic an unfortunate victim two times by mainstream America and its best friend capitalism.
Vamping, slow tempo, dissonance, and angst filled lyrics all contributed to the culturally exclusive style of Seattle grunge. Nowadays, gather those ingredients, except convert angst filled lyrics to water down angst and we have a pop hit likely to top billboard charts.
Individualism has become nonexistent proposing that less than twenty years ago those ingredients did not contribute to a pop hit, but a music aesthetic authentically influenced by culture not mainstream.
Amazingly, there remains a tiny lot of Seattle music delicately untouched-Seattle Hip Hop. The struggle of Hip Hop parallels to the struggle of Seattle based grunge-a cultural phenomenon overwrought and misunderstood due to uniqueness. Like grunge, mainstream Hip Hop takes on an urban metamorphis dependent on youth representation. Dookie chains to jheri curls, jheri curls to bling and braids, and now high top fads and skateboard related garb. The transitions of Hip Hop are beautiful and represent authentic culture. However, the recent representation does not depict distinctiveness, but copy cat rhymes and music thrown together with second-hand beats with looped intros hoping to garner anticipation for the “hot” record. Nevertheless, this contributes to my boredom and gives me Hulk-like rage, enough to rattle through old CD’s and MP3 files for my classic Bay Area-esque Souls of Mischief records.
As I made my recent quest to find good Hip Hop, I unknowingly stumbled across Seattle Hip Hop artists. The artist? Shabazz Palaces. Their origin? Seattle. Their influence? True Hip Hop, art, and dope rhymes.
Little to nothing is known about Shabazz Palaces given their refusal to be heard through successful internet music resources such as MySpace, and only appearing publically visible through beautiful visuals seen in their music videos. A fine example is clearly seen in Belhaven Meridian, a short film/music video inspired by the 1977 classic, Killer of Sheep, with the foci of urban culture in Watts Los Angeles. My videography vocabulary is somewhat limited, so I simply describe it as beautiful, so beautiful it makes me anxious to hear more.
Fortunately, the content of Shabuzz Palaces’ music doesn’t fall short, passing my “Good Hip Hop Record” checklist with flying colors which includes but not limited to infectious beats, distinctive tempos, and good lyrics.
My anxiety led me to other Seattle Hip hop acts such as Fresh Espresso, Mad Rad, and a host of others. I’m drawn to this budding art form that has undocumented origins stemming from the late 70s with influences such as glam, its own- grunge, west coast vibe, and the broad amount of cultures found in Seattle.
So, is culturally influenced artistry dead? No, it isn’t dead, and it isn’t in a coma. Its alive and kicking, visually out of sight and inaudible to the masses.
5/29 Band Of Horses Live at Amoeba
14 years ago
My favorite ‘any mood’ band to listen too is Band of Horses. The sound is just so ‘on’ for me, and nearly any of their songs can put me in a good place mentally. A few years ago when Band of Horses was just getting big on the West coast, I used to tell my Minneapolis based friends that I wanted a Band of Horses song to play while I walk down the isle at my wedding. I’m not sure this holds true today, but I sincerely hope that Band of Horses isn’t a band that I grow out of over time like others that once were my favorite (I’m thinking Alberta Cross, Broken Social Scene, the Heartless Bastards, Spoon, etc.).
I am happy to share that Band of Horses is playing at Amoeba Music on Haight Street on 5/29 at noon. If you are free and in the area, please stop out and support this band on my behalf.
Song Bust: Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth
14 years ago
An oldie, but goodie by Musical Youth….get up and DANCE!