Just got back from this event: Cage the Elephant Presents: BOWLING GREEN INVASION with: Sleeper Agent The Merlins Downtown Handshake Japanese School Girls Canago The Karmadons Natty Bumpoe w/ DJ WICK-IT Lee Harvey
Mc'D by Big Fella, and Dirty D
DJ Sets by Cage the Elephant and Autovaughn
Having moved to Nashville from Los Angeles about two years ago, I NEVER thought in my life I would be even talking about some town called Bowling Green, in a state called Kentucky that once when I traveled to New Orleans someone said to me "you want to see some COUNTRY people? Go to Kentucky!" But since living here in this time, I have grown to love this little town and all the people in it, they're some of my dearest friends, and moreover, the incredible MUSIC community from there. Unlike Nashville, (and I can say this since I've been here for a while now so chill out) there are some effing rock bands with some real balls... that blow you out of the water when you listen and watch them perform. We're just lucky to be an hour from the there. Bands and artists from Bowling Green seem to not give a F with a capital F about how they sound or how they mold....they're not trying to sound country, singer/songwriter, indie, hip, folky or anything.. they're just rocking and f*cking shit up with their music. Below are a few... and stand by, because I'm not letting this town go... it's too good!
Some interesting facts about Bowling Green, KY
Bowling Green is the fourth-most populous city in the US State of Kentucky after Louisville, Lexington, and Owensboro. The population was 55,097 in 2008. Bowling Green was founded in 1798 after Robert and George Moore donated an additional 30 acres to the Warren County trustees. General Motors has an assembly plant in BG in which all Chevrolet Corvettes have been constructed since 1981 and Cadillac XLRs are being built there until production ends in the spring of 2009. Other significant businesses in Bowing Green include Fruit of the Loom, Houchen's Industries, Holley Performance Products and Camping World. In addition to all all of the other media, the town has been used in music videos, movies and television shows throughout the years. In Halloween and The Fog mention of locations and streets are very apparent to residents of Bowling Green. Director John Carpenter grew up in Bowling Green and has placed many references to the city within his motion pictures. There was a spoof of Halloween titled Hauntedween that was filmed on location in Bowling Green. BG also has one of the largest college radio towers in the country.
Need I say more?! Well I don't have to say more now, but shit the minute I arrived in Nashville (August '07) I was ranting and raving about them. I had the pleasure of watching this EARLY promo video:
Beautiful and dirty at the same time. Beautiful catchy melodies with grimey (*note typo on "grimy" ode to my favorite record shop in Nashville, TN) guitar riffs and leads and nasty/pretty vocals... just as most all my favorite bowling green bands are....Downtown Handshake is a band you can hear every member's contribution.. listen close, there's a lot going on in each song, the group singing together gives you a feel as if they're a punk band -but they're far from it. Think Spoon with balls and dirty hair that rip through your ears in sub-subterranean melody.
They are currently recording their debut EP in East Nashville for a Fall, 2009 release. They will have a few digital singles available in August, and will be playing some shows locally until the release date which will be followed by a small regional tour in the fall.
TRAGEDY: April 8, 1994. A shotgun blast to the head claims leader of Nirvana.He was seen as voice of a generation adrift.Kurt Cobain, who with his band Nirvana shaped modern rock music from the restless alienation of today’s youth was found dead in his Seattle home, he was 27.Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain was uneasy with success. But this reluctant hero spoke to his generation with the impact of Bob Dylan and John Lennon. -Los Angeles Times- COVER
“ I've tried everything within my power to appreciate it, and I do, God believe me, I do, but it's not enough. I appreciate the fact that I, and we, have affected, and entertained a lot of people. I must be one of the narcissists who only appreciate things when they're alone. I'm too sensitive, I need to be slightly numb in order to regain the enthusiasm…But I still can't get out the frustration, the guilt, and the sympathy I have for everybody. There is good in all of us, and I simply love people too much. So much that it makes me feel too fucking sad… I have a daughter who reminds me to much of what I use to be, full of love and joy, every person she meets because everyone is good and will do her no harm, and that terrifies me to the point to where I can barely function.I can’t stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable self-destructive, death rocker I become. I have it good, very good, and I'm grateful, but since the age of seven, I've become hateful towards all humans in general. Only because it seems so easy for people to get along and have empathy, EMPATHY. Only because I love and feel for people too much I guess. Thank you from the pit of my burning nauseas stomach for your letters and concern during the last years. I'm too much of a neurotic moody person and I don't have the passion anymore, so remember, it's better to burnout, than fade away
-An excerpt from the suicide letter of Kurt Cobain, errors of spelling and syntax might appear (Wenner)
Introduction:
Since his death April 5th, 1994, many prestigious sources from Rolling Stone magazine and Newsweek to various academic journals have glorified Kurt Cobain as legendary as John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Elvis and others. Some may argue that to call Nirvana one of the best bands of all time is ludicrous. “Where is the long history of solid tunes?Is anyone else disgusted of how much hype Nirvana still gets?” (www.rollingstone.com). Mainstream America that heightened with the invention of MTV in the 1980’s did not demand creative music but only good-looking people.Nirvana as a band would not have been so successful if not fronted by such a troubled and emotional man as Kurt Cobain.His lyrics expressed such significant themes of alienation, depression, mistrust, anger, confusion and others that spoke directly to a generation that began being labeled “X” by the same mainstream America that isolated it from its society.
This paper will examine Generation X, the reasons for their position, why they needed a spokesperson and how Kurt Cobain represented a similar position. Social Values in America will by examined as well as how Generation X was the first generation with post-modernistic values.Music will be examined as rhetoric, its language having strong persuasive effects on the audience.The lyrics of Cobain’s music will be analyzed to explain how they “spoke” to the generation, and finally it will discuss how grunge music was created and the success and impact of Nirvana into the mainstream.
Generation X is considered those born between 1961 and 1981, labeled X” in Coupland’s 1991 novel.Indicated by Ritchie, those born between 1961 and 1981 that were 18-34 years of age in 1995, comprised for 30% of the population (19). The oldest group of Generation X came of age during the early years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the youngest during the final days of George Bush, and the initial stages of the Clinton Administration.According to Craig and Bennett, people in Generation X were not very active politically, they have the highest scores of political apathy by -20 in 1994, and in 1992 only three-fifths claimed to have voted (27).College students rated themselves in a survey as “apathetic, bored, and self-centered by 67%” (Pecora and Mazarella 8).Some of the events that occurred during this generation’s era, the American hostages in Iran were released, Americans killed in battle during Vietnam were inscribed in the memorial, and the middle to late 1980s there was an introduction to the AIDS virus (www.about.com).According to this website, the national debt in 1980 was $914 billion and in 1986 it reached $2 trillion. In the early 1990s, the Gulf war began when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and in 1993 America experienced the war in Somalia, Africa and as a result, images of starving children were produced on television. The three significant issues during this time were, healthcare, social security, and gun control, where violence and sex scandals dominated the media (www.about.com).
In 1980, per 10,000 women, there were 226 divorces, in 1985 there were 217, and in 1987, there were 208, twice more than the divorce rate of the Baby Boomers, and in 1990, 53.9% of people ages 20-29 were single and never married,(Ritchie 44).Two out of every three lived in a single parent household, and the new households contained grandparents, half-siblings, roommates, stepchildren, lovers housekeepers, and so on.In a 1993 survey, when asked, “What constitutes a family?” 46% agreed with a gay or lesbian couple with children is considered a family, 70% agreed with a single mother and a child, and only 71% agreed with two or more people who love and take care of each other (Ritchie 43).
Success of Nirvana: “On A Plain”
It is important to discuss the success of Nirvana because a band would not have made such an impact without these following successes. Prior to continuing this section, a few terms must be defined.Sources of data are Billboard and RIAA,“Gold” = 500,000 units sold & “Platinum”= 1,000,000 units sold whereas “Multi-Platinum” = 2 Million units sold or more
Nirvana was undoubtedly the biggest band of 1992. On September 24, 1991 Nevermind was released, and less than one month later on October 12, it became certified gold.Less than two months following its release on November 23 “Smells Like Teen Spirit” reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and on November 27, Nevermind became certified platinum.The most astonishing fact, on January 11, 1992, Nevermind hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, which kicked Michael Jackson’s Dangerous off the No. 1 spot.Smells hit the top 10 and by April 1, 1992 became platinum; it is rare that a song alone reaches platinum.The same month, Nirvana appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.In September of 1993 Rolling Stone presented "The 100 Top Music Videos" including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at No. 2 and "In Bloom" at No. 39.Much later in December of 1999, Spin magazine named Nevermind as No. 1 in "The 90 Greatest Albums of the 90s.”MTV’s “100 Greatest Videos”included Smells Like Teen Spirit at No. 3.In November of 2000, Rolling Stone and MTV’s “100 Greatest Pop Songs” featured "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at No. 3.January of 2001, VH1’s “100 Greatest Albums” featured Nevermind at No. 2. Then in May of the same year, VH1’s “100 Greatest Videos”included Smells Like Teen Spirit at No. 4. To date Nevermind has reached Multi-Platinum status selling over ten million copies.
Social Values- “Serve the Servants”
American core social values are held dear to the country’s foundation, they serve to unify those who possess similar, and divide those who oppose them.The core of American values is based on personal achievement, which has generally remained consistent over the course of the history of the country. Values could be defined as group of attitudes and beliefs, which are internalized through peer pressure, and are used normatively to achieve group cohesiveness and identification. Social Values mark the boundaries for decisions, opinions, and behaviors (Johl 2001).UCSB Religious Studies Professor Thomas A. Carlson introduced six basic groups of American Values, Puritan-Pioneer, which emphasizes hard work, selflessness, duty and morality, Enlightenment, where democracy and freedom existed in an ordered world, Progressive- progress and change will bring improvement, Transcendental, revolve around humanitarian acts and the love of all people, often associated with the Hippies of the 60s and Baby Boomers, personal success emphasize personal achievement and success it stresses materialism, and Collectivist who are similar to socialists or communists, tend to be more evident in subcultures.These values are Modernistic, which have foundations in science, reason, and progress toward individual freedom.
Generation X, A Social Movement- “Whatever, Nevermind”
Following the birth of Generation X, there was a shift from modernistic values to postmodern; postmodernism can be considered a breaking away and loathing from the modern with a tendency to have attitudes of cynicism toward core American values.The supposed American Dream, a strong a strongly held value, which provides optimism for most people, claims that by hard work and perseverance, one can bring successes to one’s self.The progressive value is tied to the concept of the American Dream, where progress is seen as a way to improve the quality of life for Americans.Being children of divorce, Generation Xers postponed marriage fearing failed relationships. A comic, illustrates a woman saying, “Don’t worry mother, if the marriage doesn’t work out, we can always get divorced” (Coupland ii).Craig and Bennett argue that those in Generation X “appear to be taking longer to grow-up, they are marrying later, taking longer to leave the parental nest, often to avoid paying rent from meager salaries in service industry jobs, and returning home when confronted with a life crisis such as divorce” (25).They commonly lack a vision of optimism and hope in succeeding; they view life as a place to fail and experience disappointments.
Experiencing national debt and faulty governmental leaders such as Reagan, these people generally held a mistrust of institutions such as universities and the government or any system that relies on government.People of Generation X represented an indifference to public affairs, withdrawal from participation, and general lack of awareness of things political (Craig and Bennett 39).Rather than focusing their attention and energy to political things, they focus on apathetic attitudes and self-loathing distress.
A Generation Without Representation-“Here We Are Now Entertain Us,”
Generation X needed an identification and association and voice to represent them.Unlike the Baby Boom generation of the 1960s, who “fought the injustices they encountered and presumed that protest would bring successes toward their lives, Generation X accepted the injustices and developed a cynical attitude toward life” (Shevory 33).They saw disillusionment in political and public affairs and in optimism through protest.Instead of being hopeful, Generation X skeptically believed America to be promising.They worked on individual problems and the only thing trusted is the self. This generation began with a change of values and ideologies.They disdained dominant American values such as democracy, equality, and the work ethic.
Generation X strongly believed in the sanctity of pop culture and mass-produced images with the dominance of entertainment values.However, the mass-produced images and pop culture was dominated by what came of the introduction of MTV, Music Television.MTV brought young people for the first time, visual representations of music, which demanded attractive people to the television.The two dominant genres of music were Dance Pop and “Hair” Metal. Some of the popular artists were Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cindi Lauper, Bon Jovi, Poison, and other such artists who satisfied people’s visual needs.The late 1980s also presented for the first time, the problem of the music business deciding what is considered “popular” or “pop culture.”Generation Xers, who became disillusioned with core American values, did not have any music to represent them, their feelings, their motivations, their goals, and their physical qualities.
Kurt Cobain, “Even In His Youth”
The personal history of Kurt Cobain is simply analogous to those in Generation X; where divorce and depression were new concepts that dominated their lives.Kurt was raised in a neighborhood, which had obtained the derogatory nickname “felony flats” being a lower class neighborhood of Washington, (Cross 12). His father divorced his mother when he was nine years old and at twelve years old his father petitioned for custody of him, which caused Cobain to migrate between, parents, grandparents and other relatives.Cobain moved into his father, Don’s trailer with Don’s parents. Cross describes Kurt’s parents’ divorce, “an emotional holocaust, no other single event in his life had more of an effect on the shaping of his personality” (18).Recorded in Heavier Than Heaven (2001), Cobain’s Aunt Mari believed “he internalized the divorce, “he thought it was his fault, and he shouldered much of the blame” (19).In 1977, his father remarried to someone who had two kids, they had a child together, who all competed for attention. Cobain’s mother remarried, to a man who abused her and eventually broke her arm (Cross 20).Just as those in Generation X who lost faith in authority, Kurt Cobain shared this vision of his personal figures of authority, “His parents had been his gods when he was younger, now they were fallen idols, false gods, and not to be trusted” (Cross 27).
Kurt Cobain experienced suicide for the first time, which began to become a theme throughout his life.Suicide further expressed the pessimism that life would bring.His great grandfather, James, committed suicide by stabbing himself when he was eleven years old, then at thirteen; his uncle 66-year-old Burle Cobain committed suicide, with a gun.Cross discusses the possible suicide of Cobain’s other uncle, “while Ernest death was not officially ruled suicide, he had been warned he would die if he continued drinking” (32).As Kurt and other friends were walking to school, during his eighth grade year, they discovered as schoolmate, who hanged himself outside their elementary school.For Cobain, as well as others, suicide was a solution to their problems.
Music As Rhetoric- “I’ll start this off, without any words.”
Music represents society’s values, reflecting and shaping thoughts and ideologies of specific eras.It can also be viewed as a form of mass communication, sending messages, thoughts and ideals to the public.American postmodern values dominated at the same time pop culture and music become important roles in people’s lives and society. It is my contention that music serves as a form of persuasion through rhetorical functions.Adults in highly developed societies use music as background, from a distance, where as for young people, music is central to their lives and it serves as a basic form of communication.
Lindemann asserts that rhetoric uses language, either spoken or written to induce cooperation in an audience (36).She claims that rhetoric does not simply refer to persuasion; its dissertation affects an audience, which informs, moves, delights, and teaches.Music teaches values, and reflects the values of those creating the music.Young people learn socialization by learning the values of others their age, for example in alternative music; the audience shares the values with the performer because they are usually of the same age.Music influences the listener in modifying judgments about philosophical, religious, and aesthetic values. Messages sent through music are more diverse and intense and appeal to all types of people rather than precisely being scholarly messages.It can occasionally be associated with rebellion; different styles are sometimes used to divide and separate generations.
“Not all verbal or written communication aims to create an effect in an audience, the brief exchanges between people engaged in formal conversation…when we use language in more formal ways with the premeditated intention of changing attitudes or behaviors of explaining a subject matter, of expressing the self.” (Lindemann 36-37)
She is referring to the persuasive nature of rhetoric, having powerful effects on people.These effects are not necessarily aimed through the language of conversation, but rather when the language has the goal of stronger effects, such as changing of attitudes, behaviors, explaining a subject matter, or of a self-expression.Communication is simply the sending of a message from one source to another through a certain transmission.Rhetoric includes this but adds another dimension of changing attitudes; in this case music is an expression of the self, not necessarily with the intention of changing attitudes and behaviors, but music takes on this intention unconsciously.The effect music has on its audience, especially a younger audience where the performers are of similar ages, is more of an influential and unifying effect.
Kurt Cobain Language-Lyrics Analyzed- “What the hell am I trying to say?”
Duane Fish describes Kurt Cobain’s lyrics as not meant to be an expression of the angst of a generation; rather, they represent Kurt Cobain’s personal anxieties. The expression is not a general confusion; instead it is an expression of Cobain’s frustration with his own situation. “If his lyrics resonated with others, it was simply because they had similar feelings not because he was trying to speak for anyone himself” (99).
Unlike the previous generations, Generation X experienced new feelings of angst, dread, anxiety and anguish.Kurt Cobain’s lyrics represented the similar thoughts of confusion, self-questioning, self-concern and confusion.From the song On a Plain, he questions himself as a person of logical thoughts,“Somewhere I have heard this before. In a dream, my memory’s stored. What the hell am I trying to say?” It represents the idea that the world contains people without direction, such as the song Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, “What is wrong with me? What is what I need? What do I think I think?”Questioning both the world around him as well as his own thoughts are clearly stated in Stay Away where every line is followed by “I don’t know why.”Cobain questions the reasons he has certain notions, which is followed by the chorus, where he screams, “Stay Away,” which further represents his lack of concern to his alienated vision of the world.Apathetic attitudes are present in Breed, “I don’t care, I’m afraid, get away…”
Experiencing numerous conflicts throughout the world and national debt, feelings of fear became a common theme in the lives of Generation X. This fear brought anger, where Cobain expresses this self-loathing anxiety, “just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re after you,” (From Territorial Pissings).As the previous generations used protest to deal with their fear, for Generation X, sadness is comforting, because it is slightly more uplifting than being purely fearful, “I miss the comfort of being sad, (From Francis Farmer…).Themes of depression became more popular than themes of optimism for people of Generation X, from the song Dumb; Cobain expresses the dark side of depression where he has come to accept this sadness as contrary to most values of optimism for Americans. “I'm not like them, but I can pretend, the sun is gone, but I have a light, the day is done, but I'm having fun I think I'm dumb or maybe just happy… My heart is broke, but I have some glue…”
Here, Cobain has accepted his depression as a part of his life and sarcastically articulates how he feels he should be dealing with it.By saying “I’m not like them,” he acknowledges the fact that there is a general outlook of optimism that American media has created.Although Cobain is miserable, “My heart is broke,” he has accepted it and learns to deal with his sadness possibly with drugs or suicide, the next significant theme present in his life, as well as those in his generation.Some other examples of accepting his state of sadness come from All Apologies; “I wish I was like you, easily amused…everything is my fault…I’ll take all the blame,” and On A Plain; “The finest day that I ever had Was when I learned to cry on command”
As American media sends more messages of providing optimism for people, depression in young people of Generation X and Kurt Cobain grew drastically. From the song Pennyroyal Tea, he creates an analogy of abortion in a drink that kills everything inside him, “Sit and drink Pennyroyal Tea, distil the life that’s inside of me.” Depression had become something dominating and needed to have a solution.Unfortunately common to Cobain’s life as well as others of his generation, suicide became the only possible solution when drugs were not sufficient, in the chorus of Milk It; he informs the audience “Look on the bright side is suicide”
During the 1980’s, with the introduction of MTV and where materialism and consumerism became apparent, there seemed to only be room for good-looking people in this country, people of Generation X did not see themselves as those on television.They experienced a significant lack of self-esteem,“I am my own parasite. I don’t need a host to live, we feed off of each other,” (From Milk It). A Kurt Cobain and young people felt isolated from those mediated on television, in the song Lithium, acknowledges his difference and shares his feelings with others;
“I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends they're in my head. I'm so ugly, but that's okay, 'cause so are you we've broken our mirrors, I'm so lonely but that's okay, I shaved my head, And I'm not sad And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard, but I'm not sure”
Lacking faith in authority a mistrust of any system owned by government, Kurt Cobain presented protest songs, which bring up rejection of the ideal institutions and moral guidelines that are a part of American established culture. Cultural institutions, parents, and the media are blamed for the sense of anxiety felt by young people, (Fish 90).Big Cheese is a rejection of the work place; School is a rejection of the school system, Lounge Act is a rejection of American ideals, “Truth, covered in security, I can’t let you smother me, don't, tell me what I wanna hear, afraid of never knowing fear.”
Finally, the most significant rejection results from the source of Cobain’s distress, the divorce of his parents.In Serve the Servants he attacks parents and their ideals for the problems of the young. “Teenage angst has paid off well Now I'm bored and old As my bones grew they did hurt They hurt really bad I tried hard to have a father But instead I had a dad” Divorce, for Cobain and others in his generation who blamed themselves for it, resulted in the feeling of betrayal and abandonment: “The lady whom I feel maternal love for Cannot look me in the eyes.”From the song You Know You’re Right, Cobain expresses his feeling of neglect;
“I will never bother you I will never promise to I will never follow
you…never speak a word again I will crawl away for good I will move away from here You won't be afraid of fear No thought was put into this I always knew it would come to this Things have never been so swell I have never felt this well Pain! You know you're right.”
Having only been released to the public a few months prior to this paper, one could not be certain to the meaning of this song, however being the last song he wrote prior to his suicide, it could be analyzed that this feeling of betrayal, abandonment, and neglect has traveled from his parents to his own wife.It seems to foreshadow his suicide with “I will never bother you, I will crawl away for good.” Feeling unloved by his parents, Cobain, as anyone would, looked for love in his wife and his family.Feeling abandoned emotionally from one’s spouse is the ultimate pain, which Cobain screams numerous times, and the only solution for this betrayal is for a permanent departure.
Finally, the significance of their alienated image was another characteristic very common to those of Generation X, which was the reason for the impact of the Grunge movement.On his identity and the feeling threatened to change his image, Floyd the Barber, “Bell on the door ring, come on in Floyd observes my hairy chin, Barney ties me to the chair, I can't see, I'm really scared” chorus, “I was shaved…I was shaved…” as well as in Come As You Are, “Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be, come dowsed in mud, soaked in bleach As I want you to be,” where the image, it is safe to say, the “Grunge” image was accepted by Cobain, and with the immensely mediated vision of the band-mates, many young people of Generation X found a band they were able to associate with.
Smells Like Teen Spirit was the acclimation of a new generation; the song ushered a new era and defined it as well.This momentous song was from the first single and first music video released off of Nirvana’s second album.Four facets of the song contributed to its vast impact; 1) The lyrics 2) The music video, the image presented in the video 3) The sound, and lastly, in correspondence with the thesis of paper, 4) The exact time the song was presented.The title of the song Smells Like Teen Spirit itself is a timeless capture of Generation X.
It contained lyrics of alienation and despair “Here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious…” correspond to Kurt Cobain’s sight of lack of representation of his generation.Although unwillingly, he spoke to others in his generation, Cobain clearly says repeatedly, “Here we are now.” An endless amount of young people identified with this “we” and felt they were able to release their feelings of alienation, and “Entertain us” sarcastically points at the dissatisfaction in the world they were living in.The Music video visualized a band performing the song wearing dirty, grungy flannel and ripped jeans as well as the audience- young adolescents with long, unclean hair, banging their heads to this very loud, obnoxious music, wearing the same outfit as the band members.Pointing at the title “Teen Spirit,” cheerleaders are represented in the video looking very unglamorous and unattractive; with ugly faces and hairy armpits.The video ridicules the stereotypical culture experienced through high school where young people experienced cliques and peer pressure of being accepted by the “popular” groups.
The sound, although it was the antithesis of pop, such as Michael Jackson and Madonna, it was harsh and innovative, absolutely nothing sounded like it before its release.Kurt Cobain himself describes the sound himself; “I was looking for something a lot heavier, yet melodic at the same time…something different from heavy metal, a different attitude,”(Shevory).The time Smells Like Teen Spirit was released was immeasurable, it represented the American Youth of Generation X who were more concerned with individual problems, as opposed to societal problems, and Kurt Cobain's lyrics were expressions of personal anxieties from his own situation, and physical images in which every young American identified with.
Grunge: A Movement, “Come As You Are,”
Kurt Cobain/Nirvana created a new genre of music: grunge, and the grunge movement was a significant movement between 1991 and 1994. Those who were natives to Seattle were astounded upon discovering the movement of grunge into the market world, on the day Cobain was born, the Aberdeen Daily World announced the news of American victory at Quang Ngai City as well as JCPenny ads featuring a sale of $2.48 flannel shirts (Cross 12).
Grunge fashion became the next big trend following the success of Nevermind.Upscale Madison Avenue Fashion stores were imitating the flannel thrift store shirts and ripped jeans worn by Nirvana.From Armani to Isani, clothes that were at least $300 with Grunge fashion appeals were featured.In 1993, Vanity Fair magazine discovered “unlikely grunge wearers” by Joan Rivers and Mademoiselle announced “grunge fragrance,” and a “Grunge diet” (Shevory 31).The grunge look was meant for people who could not afford upper class clothes and did not want to ‘dress up,’ however the ‘down and dirty style’ somehow hit the mainstream.Words associated with “grunge” usually have negative connotations, such as grime, filth, and dirt.It is ironic that such a lifestyle and image that rooted in a lower class lack of concern for appearance made such an impact in mainstream fashion.
Refutation: “Stay Away”
Although those 61.5% who regard Cobain and Nirvana to be a voice for their lives identify with the messages in the music as “relevant and sympathetic as their concerns,” a study by Pecora and Mazarella 30.8% claim no one voice can speak for the whole, and 28.1% say the negativity in Cobain’s lyrics is a reason he does not speak for them personally or for their generation (13).However when one is conducting a research study, it is important to look at the subject used.In this case well-educated and intelligent people are used for the study that are very ambitious and motivated, the study failed to recognize the portion of young people who were not enrolled in a University that might disagree.
Conclusion
“The purpose of his music does not appear to use a mass mediated form to reach a wide audience with a message of protest.The songs are better described as the voice of Cobain, a voice appropriated by Generation X and the grunge subculture” (Fish 91).Kurt Cobain was the spokesperson for Generation X, however not willingly.He was not directly speaking to anyone; he was only expressing his own angst, which traveled into the ears of many young people.Although Cobain thought he was “not like them,” (Dumb), his personal anxieties were shared by millions of people in his generation, little did he realize he was speaking for an entire generation.
Further research should investigate similar concerns as Cobain, who could not understand how his own personal anguish could be mainstreamed or commercialized.It would be interesting to investigate in whether such a powerful artist would have such an impact on another generation, or if it is possible in the future for another generation such a X to exist with similar attitudes and beliefs.
Last night made my week!!!! I walked into SESAC's annual Christmas Party this one at Lime in mid-town when who do I see at the bar, James of Dukes of DaVille!!!!! What a surprise! There he was among all the long-haired, tight jeans & boots wearing country songwriters... waiting to order a drink. It instantly put a big smile on my face!!! Then I look over and see Ric!! I was with them the rest of the night of course! Talked them up and introduced them to everyone I could find!!!
They've been so busy lately, they've had an AMAZING review in Ozone Magazine, Capitol Records put out a video called "On the Road To Glory" and they're album MILLENNIUM MUSIC comes out next spring!!! More recently their mix tape CD WE ARE MUSIC drops in January '09!!
Here's all the great happenings: *Ozone Magazine Review
*Dukes of DaVille's debut LP entitled "MILLENNIUM MUSIC" will be in stores in the Spring of '09 - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!! *Their OFFICIAL mixtape entitled "WE ARE MUSIC" 3D (Digital Download Disc) will be available in January 2009, here is a track: Dukes of DaVille featuring SunN.Y- "Swagger Like Us- remix"
KAT @ KROQ has been giving away tix & playing bands from the lineup which is super exciting..... incase you missed KROQ LOCALS ONLY this past week, here's a taste of what you can expect to hear tomorrow:
So yeah, those tunes don't suck . . . so neither should you! COME ON DOWN TO THE VIPER ROOM and see our favorite new bands before everyone else does!!!
xoxo! Nicole / HPeggs
p.s. make sure and come say hi to us in the DJ booth . . . and please, no tequila shots. I've had my fill thx. ;)
This will be delicious night of music. Venus Infers have been heard on KROQ, MTV2 "On the Rise," MTV ProjectZ, two songs on TankFarm's Clothing Compilation, and heard frequently on MTV shows. I love this band, if you love Kings of Leon, this will be your new favorite band. The Growlers are yummy psychedelic Doors-esqe awesomeness. Dave Segal of the OC Weekly says "The Growlers play party music that's shot through with an undertone of melancholy. It's as if their sepia-tinted rock songs come equipped with both the drunken cheeriness and the nauseating hangover." Dynamite Walls is also on MTV2 On the Rise and recently opened up for Dahni Harrison’s band Thenewno2 at the Key Club. Picture Atlantic opened for Coldplay in San Fran recently.
Of course Hell Ya! Deejays will be spinning fresh indie in between sets.
KROQ is giving away tickets this Sunday, 10/5, so listen up!
Last night I caught thenewno2 (The New # 2) for their last show at the Key Club series in West Hollywood. It was a packed house full of everything from Beatles fanatics waiting the very front even during the openers Dynamite Walls, to hippies to hipsters, to people who had never been to the Key Club before, confused walking over to the vip section asking "may we sit there?". The hippies were priceless, long grey hair, beards, tye die t-shits. I loved seeing them at the show. Even Matt Sorum was in the audience.
Dahni Harrison is George's twin, and by twin I mean son. He looks JUST like him it's eerie. It was a psychadelic meets singer/songwriter show. The music is all over the place and I loved it. Weird keyboard effects, weird shit on the projection screen, with mellow lighting. Musically I love it, it's out there and strange and I wouldn't expect more from the son of a Beatle. Songmanship-wise, I was a little confused, I'm gonna be honest here. The songs were about broken hearts, love, relationships, girls, etc. The two didn't seem to match. But who cares? It's George Harrison's son on stage who looks just like him! If you squint you might actually see George! My favorite song and moment of the night was the song "Yomp" it's got a great retro sounding riff and he sings over the melody. This song also somewhat sounds like it could be a Beatles song.
Although I saw some amazing bands over the three day period for Next Big Nashville like Dukes of Daville, The Champion and His Burning Flame, Roman Candle, and Brenn, the highlight for me was the Ten Out of Tenn show Saturday night at the Cannery Ballroom. This is what makes Nashville, Tennessee an amazing place to see some of the best music in the world. It is why I refer to it as "the songwriting capital." Some of the best songwriters in the world live in this little town and and due to it's super casual nature, you will often times see many of them on one stage together, popping in to sing a song, be in the audience supporting each other and be asked to come up on stage. No other city in the world has such a strong community as Nashville. Los Angeles, the city I come from is a great city for music, but everyone is so concerned with getting deals, they sometimes lose sight on what they are really there for, the MUSIC!! Who cares how it will make you look, how you will sound, just be a part of the team and play music. Every night of the week I go out, I always see something that gives me chills, whether it's an amazing song about the songwriter's son that was killed in an accident ("What Hurts the Most" performed by Rascal Flatts written by Jeffrey Steele), or Mark Slaughter singing "Fly to the Angels" acoustically with Big Kenny of Big and Rich on harmonies, Jack White surprising audiences with special shows, bands like Autovaughn playing to their hometown crowd, to artists like Ricky Young pouring their heart and soul into their songs. This town is a community. Everyone supports each other. When one band is playing a big show, every other band, even those signed to major recording/publishing deals- American Bang, Autovaughn, Paper Route, Jeremy Lister, etc, will show up to support. These artists and writers usually co-write together also, which contributes to the community aspect.
These are the voices of Nashville. Sure there are the huge writers like Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, who have written some of the biggest country hits in the world. But these faces are the ones that matter to me. They are the ones bringing Nashville to the 21st Century. Making this city matter to the rest of the world, not just those who are country fans. But fans of music. For people who love to seek out the newest and best music. People who go to festivals, concerts, shows, South By Southwest, CMJ. These artists may not become huge "stars" but you can always guarantee one thing: you will always here the best SONGS with this group and from Nashville. Sometimes the songs are sad, sometimes they're happy. But they will always be songs from the heart. Every artists in Ten out of Tenn is having great success. You may have already heard of a few Jeremy Lister, I'm sure, and Katie Herzig has has songs all over TV. The fact that they have been on tour together is brilliant. It's a team effort! Here are a few tracks:
Not only was the show amazing, but they way they left the stage gave me chills. They walked off and into the audience with instruments in hand singing Bob Dylan with unplugged guitars in the middle of everyone. Like a drum circle. And got everyone in the packed house singing along while they walked off. It was amazing. I thought to myself "this is what makes Nashville so badass....this right here!"
I texted my friend Heather Peggs who was by the mixing console setting up to spin some fresh tracks with a Hell Ya! set before the afterparty and set of the Features and she agreed "this is amazing," she said in return. Chills I'm telling you, chills.....
Next BIG Nashville Music Festival & Conference 2008 has officially commenced. I'm stoked. I've been waiting one year- since I moved here since I went to NBN last year for this. One year to see GREAT local indie bands, like-minded people (non music row people) who are into film, left of center music, etc, and to hopefully see some friends from LA. This year, however thus year there are TONS of people from LA, NY and beyond coming in and I'll be seeing good friends and hooking up with some industry pals.
There are sooooo many great shows I'm looking forward to....and I'm so proud to have been here a year and can say "I live here and I know about the newly growing scene" and spread the love to friends visiting.
Tin Pan South has officially started, which means, a continuation of CRS, and more drunk Nashivlle people carrying themselves to songwriter venues throughout town. Yes, another excuse for Nashville people to DRINK themselves silly and watch people play country songs.
If you would rather not be out during TPS, fear not, here are some shows to hit up: 4/4 Next Big NashvillePresents Megan McCormick, Erin McCarley, Kate York, and Butterfly Boucher, 12th & Porter, 7pm 4/4 Kate Voegele with the Whitest Light and Kelley James, Rocketown, 6:30 $12.00 **4/5 GRAND OLE PARTY with The Loft, Mellow DOwn Easy, Javelinas, Bullet Called Life, The Rutledge, 9pm $12.00 **4/8 TOKYO POLICE CLUB with Eagle Seagull, Exit/In, 9pm $14.00 4/10 Tyler James, Peter Bradley and Eric Wilson 12th & Porter 9pm 4/13 Matt Whitewith Brad Passons, Exit/In 8pm $12.00. I had the pleasure of being in the studio with Matt when he was recording his album. He's poppy but fun. 4/18 The New Pornographers Mercy Lounge, 9pm $25.00 4/30 Jay Reatard with Cheaptime, High on Life, and the Curse of the Drinking Glass, Mercy Lounge 9pm (**OTR Music picks)
Steve Aoki has done it again this time a full length release of his remixes and the remixes of his friends... I love Steve Aoki, as a person, I love everything he does and everything he represents (not to mention we went to the same college, University of CA, Santa Barbara). I admire him so much, he is so passionate about everything he does and works VERY hard at it. He's literally in 5 states or more in one week, I never knew half the things he does were humanly possible. (see my blog on him here).
I randomly went to the music section at Target and I was as happy as a small child going into Toys 'R Us seeing their favorite toy when I saw this I remember seeing it when it was released in December and knew as soon as I saw a hard copy I would have to grab it. I ran to my car (literally, I actually ran to my car) and popped this in there and had a few minutes to scan through each song while on my way to The End for a show, and haven't stopped listening to it since. It is jam packed with all my favorite electronic artists, as well as some indie rock favs, and even Franz Ferdinand, all remixed by the best of the best. Everyone from Justice, to Bloc Party, to Klaxons to Peaches are on there featuring remixes by MSTRKRFT (one of my favorites), Soulwax, Erol Alkan, and Steve himself (Weird Science).
*Track listings below There are of course the Justice gems on there that you would have already heard had you listened to the tracks on their album. The MSTRKRFT remix of D.A.N.C.E has made circulation in the digital world already, but nonetheless it's my favorite way to listen to this track. There is also the Durrdurrrrr Re-Edit remix of Waters of Nazareth is by Erol Alkan with Pase Rock's Guest Drop. And then there's Steve Aoki's Weird Science remix of HELICOPTER (Bloc Party) which features Peaches responding to Kele's "running on" "some things will never be different" with things like "you want it, you want it all," "go further further." I LOOOOOVE this remix so much I could listen to it over and over and over and over. What a great song to begin with and this is a whole new song. Two amazing ways to listen to Helicopter. I'm still thinking about Kele spinning at the Bloc Party after party after their show here in town back in summer. I also love Peaches "Boys Wanna Be Here" which is already a great tune but has the greatness of Steve Aoki behind this remix. "Boys wanna (boys wanna).........girls wanna (girls wanna).......boys wanna, girls wanna...." DO YOU WANT TO is instrumental and its intro is a blend with the song with a very familiar song we all know. The verse transitions into Eron Alkan's Glam Racket Remix with bits of the melody tied in between. BRING IT ON remix with Todd Fink guest drop is sooooooo f'in cool, this is a fun one. LA Riots remix of Low Life by Scanners is my favorite. I am of course biased because DJ Dan of LA Riots is a friend of mine and I generally love all of their remixes, but I think this one is really appealing. It sounds like a totally different song. Low Life is a great indie tune and it has been transformed into electronic dance gold. I got to see LA Riots at SXSW. (they spun at the Vice Party opening for MSTRKRFT Saturday, March 15 302 E. 6th St. 11:00 p.m.). Their myspace has free downloads.
Long story long: if you are a fan of electronic remixes you don't want to let this one pass you by. Buy it on iTunes here. $9.99 album only (believe me it's worth it)
1. REFUSED New Noise 2. JUSTICE Waters Of Nazereth (Erol Alkan's Durrr Durrr Durrrrrr Re-Edit) w/ Pase Rock's Guest Drop 3. DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? We Are Rockstars w/ Spank Rock & Amanda Blank's Guest Drop 4. SERVICES Element Of Danger (MSTRKRFT Remix) w/ Har Mar Superstar's Guest Drop 5. GOOSE Bring it On w/ Todd Fink's Guest Drop 6. LARRY TEE & PRINCESS SUPERSTAR Licky (Work it Out) [Herve Goes Low Remix] w/ Santogold’s Guest Drop 7. GREEN VELVET Shake and Pop w/ Kid Sister's Guest Drop 8. KLAXONS Gravity's Rainbo (Soulwax Remix) 9. MYSTERY JETS The Boy Who Ran Away (Riton Re-Dub) 10. PEACHES Boys Wanna Be Her (Weird Science Remix) 11. DATAROCK Fa-Fa-Fa w/ Steve Bays' Guest Drop 12. YELLE Je Veux Te Voir 13. FRANZ FERDINAND Do You Want To (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket Remix) 14. KIM Wet 'N Wild w/ Mickey Avalon's Guest Drop 15. BLOC PARTY Helicopter (Weird Science Remix feat. Peaches) 16. JUSTICE D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix) 17. SCANNeRS Low Life (L.A. Riots' Remix) w/ Uffie's Guest Drop
Just got back from this event:
