1000 people play "Learn To Fly"

This is pretty cool. I'm curious to see how the Foo Fighters will react to this...I think Dave and the guys will respect the effort put into it and plan a concert there. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, watch the video. I'm always blown away watching drummers playing in sync with each other. 

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/07/1000-diehard-fans-campaign-for-foo-fighters/

Throwback Thursday - Video Edition: A Banned Video???

So I actually wanted to post Dire Straights "Money For Nothing" video for this week's Throwback Thursday - Video Edition, but actually couldn't find the video on YouTube. The video pretty much sums up the 80s both visually with the early computer generated cartoon and all the neon in the live sequences and lyrically, being a statement of music and the growing MTV generation.

Could I find the video on YouTube?

There was a lot of live versions of the song, a version that was titled "Original Banned Video" that never showed a video, just a screen shot of Mark Knopfler in neon and the lyrics and a couple parodies, but no video.

Over the years there has been a lot of controversy over the use of the word "faggot" in the song. In January 2011, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) ruled that the unedited version of the song was unacceptable for air play on private Canadian radio stations, as it breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' (CAB) Code of Ethics and their Equitable Portrayal Code. Is this part of the reason why I can't find the video on YouTube?

If it is the reason why it's not on YouTube, why are the live versions of the song okay? Some version he sings "faggot" and in other's he says "Queenie" rather than "faggot". Isn't "Queenie" just as bad or possibly even worse?



Looking outside YouTube, searching Google I was able to find the original video on Vimeo.

Dire Straits - Money For Nothing from Berussa on Vimeo.
Dire Straits - Money For Nothing

Prior to finding the original version, I found this and almost posted it instead...

Kill Da Wabbit, Kill DA Wabbit, Kill Da Wabbit

Chance are, as you were reading the subject line, the song "Kill the rabbit" was probably going through your head.

For me, growing up my first early exposer to music that stuck with me over he years. came from Looney Toons cartoon.

Bugs Bunny was pretty much the man (or should I say Rabbit) behind the majority of my exposure to classical music. From "Kill Da Rabbit" to the "Barber of Civil" without even realizing it I was being turned into a fan of classical music.

Today is Bugs Bunny's 75th Birthday. Do yourself a favour and watch some classic cartoons.

Reggae Kiss?

Do you think Gene Simmons is aware of this or, knowing Gene, is he actually behind this and taking a huge cut...

Eight Days A Week - July 24th

NEW - Eight Days A Week

Tracks (with a little added info from me):

Audiotospy "Headshot" (new band featuring members of Mudvayne and Skrape)
Coheed & Cambria "You've Got Spirit Kid" (normally I hate Coheed & Cambria...not so much with this track)
Atreyu "Long Live"
Lamb Of God (featuring Chino Moreno) "Embers"
Motorhead "Thunder & Lightning"
Butcher Babies "Never Go Back" (another band I'm normally not a fan of, but this song I like)
Soilwork "The Ride Majestic"
Stryper "Yahweh" (co-writen with Clint Lowery from Sevendust)

Eight Days A Week - Episode 13 by Eight Days A Week on Mixcloud

Want to hear previous episodes? CLICK HERE

Throwback Thursday: The Video Edition - Genesis "Land Of Confusion"

Thanks to Chris for reminding me of this classic and somewhat creepy video...

Throwback Thursday - Video Edition: Escape Club "Wild Wild West"

I never really liked this song, but what I did like was MuchWest. For those of you who may not know, MuchWest was a show on MuchMusic that focused on what was happening musically on the West Coast. 

Leaving out west (even though I was in Saskatchewan at the time) it was great hearing what was happening musically on our side of the country and not just in the 'centre of the universe' i.e. Toronto. Thank you Terry David Mulligan!

Tuesday vs. Friday!

On Tuesday I felt the impact.

Going all the way back to when I worked in a record store, I always looked forward to Tuesdays.

New music day.

The day when new album, cassettes and CDs were released.

When I worked for BMG Music as a Sales Rep. my favorite day to do store visits was Tuesday. Not only was it the day I’d first get to see the new product I sold to the retail outlet on the shelves, but I also got to see what else was new.

Over the years, the retail environment for music has changed considerably. These changes didn’t get in the way of my New Music Tuesday ritual.

My ritual simply shifted online.

Every Tuesday I found myself sitting at the computer, checking out what was new in the world of music. New music on Tuesday has always been something I always looked forward to. What else is there to look forward to one Tuesday? KFC doesn’t even do Toonie Tuesdays anymore. All I had to look forward to on Tuesday was new music.

This past Tuesday there was no new music. I was unable to go to my computer and see and listen to what was new and I felt empty because of this.

The music industry recently decided to change the official new release day from Tuesday to Fridays. This change took effect last week and being the fan of new music I spent a portion of Friday evening seeing what was new.

Sadly not much.

I was genuinely shocked. Switching the new release day for music from Tuesday to Friday is a fairly significant change. You would think that the record companies would try and have some fairly significant releases come out on that first Friday of the new schedule, to help entice people by new music on Fridays.

That’s what helped Record Store Day take off. Sure it’s great to support the little independent record store, but you can technically buy albums any time of the year. To make Record Store day that much more appealing, having unique releases that are only available on Record Stare Day drew in crowds.

I’m not aware of any activities done by any retail outlets, both physical and online to promote the new Friday release date. Apple sent out a variety of materials to help the stores…did they get used? What’s going to entice the general public to go into a music store or peruse iTunes on a day they typically don’t. The hardcore music enthusiast will make the effort, I already admitted I did, but what percentage of the target audience are hardcore music enthusiasts? What was being done to get John Q Public to check out new music on a Friday? Is that something John Q Public wants to even consider doing on a Friday?

One of the reasons given for the move was movies, video games, books, etc all tend to come out on Tuesdays and so new music was continually competing with these other products for a share of the disposable income wealth. Sure moving the release date to Fridays takes them out of the already highly competitive Tuesday market, but has the industry considered what consumers tend to spend their money on Fridays?

On Fridays people are thinking about what and where they are going to spend their money. Are they going out of town, going out for a movie, going out for drinks, for supper, do you have activities planned? Some people get paid every second Friday, so they may also be thinking about paying bills, mortgage, car payments, getting groceries for the coming week. Those are some pretty hefty important things that are most likely going to be priorities over new music.

When new release day was on Tuesday, chances are those hefty options where  no longer concerns. Once the weekend is done, the money that is left in consumers’ pockets is considered disposable income and that’s when they start thinking about purchasing items like DVDs, video games, books and music. When new music came out on Tuesday it was competing for disposable income. Consumers aren’t thinking that way on a Friday and new music runs the risk of getting lost.

As you've probably guessed, I'm not a fan of this change. It's just another example of the music industry making decisions based on assumptions instead of facts, focused on what benefits them not the consumer or their retail partners. Worst of all, making decisions without their target audience in mind. Aside from the labels, the only people I've heard say anything positive about this change. 

Throwback Thursday Video Edition - Anthrax/Public Enemy "Bring The Noise"

Read an article asking if we should bring back Nu Metal this morning...I'm not going to discuss that, but I will say the article got me a little nostalgic and made me think of this early Metal/Rap combo.



If you're interested, CLICK HERE to see the article.
Still feeling a bit nostalgic? Check out last week's Throwback Thursday Video

Don't forget to check out other features and posts on Might As Well Blog About It. 

Eight Days A Week - July 8th

Here's another episode of Eight Days A Week!

This week's episode features:

Shinedown "Cut The Chord"
Disturbed "The Vengeful One"
Wilson "Hang With The Devil"
Breaking Benjamin "Defeated"
Red Sun Rising "Push"
Pyramaze "Disciples Of The Sun"
Level 10 "Soul Is Eternal"
Raven "Fight"

Eight Days A Week - Episode 12 by Eight Days A Week on Mixcloud

Want to hear previous episodes? CLICK HERE

What's wrong with the music industry?

THIS is what is wrong with the music industry on SO many levels...

Rolling Stone has had non-musicians on their cover before...cast from Friends, Seinfeld, Star Wars and you can't argue the Kim hasn't had an impact on culture and the entertainment world...but has that been a positive feedback? Should we be honouring her contributions and impact by putting her on the cover of a magazine that normally celebrates and honours people who are actually having a positive impact? 

Armageddon is upon us.

Side note...ever notice that Kanye and Kim Kardashians initials are basically KKK? Let the conspiracy theories begin...

Yes...Phil Collins was a rockstar!

For the past couple of years I've heard the following uttered multiple times. "There no real rockstars anymore" To which I regular respond "There never was!" and I now have proof!

Both Eric Alper and Alan Cross posted this earlier this week, which indicates that Phil Collins...YES, PHIL COLLINS dominated the 1980s. Phil Collins, who has looked like somebodies dad for pretty much his entire career was one of the biggest 'rockstars' to come out of the 80s. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he was the first artist to tell his kids to go to bed 'now that Daddy has won a grammy" And acceptance speech that has been mocked over and over to this day. 

You can't argue with stats though...sure he looked like your buddies dad or that school teach who was trying just way too hard to inspire you...but when you look at the stats...Phil Collins was a rockstar!